Songs in the Key of Twilight
by RenaBug1
Summary: A crazy idea came to me one day – take lyrics of songs and make a series of one-shot stories to go along with those lyrics. Each chapter will be its own complete story and will not continue from one chapter to the next.
1. He Ain't Worth Missing

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but I'm grateful to Stephenie Meyer for her dream.**

**Edward wouldn't get out of my head and leave me alone about this one, so I begin with this. With that in mind, away we go!**

Chapter 1: He Ain't Worth Missing

_Edward_

I had worked as a bartender at the Twilight Lounge in Seattle, Washington, for a few years now and had gotten to know the regulars who came in. My boss, Ben Cheney, was a cool guy. He and his wife, Angela, were starting a family and I was thrilled for them. I'd dated some women, but hadn't really found anyone I wanted to settle down with. A lot of the single women coming into the bar in the evenings would attempt to flirt with me – I guess they thought I was attractive since I was around 6'1" tall, muscular and had green eyes. I also heard them giggle about my "sex hair," whatever that was. It was just an unruly mop of bronze mane that I couldn't tame no matter what I did.

One of my favorite regulars was a woman named Bella who always came in with her boyfriend, Jake. They were an attractive couple. Bella was gorgeous – about 5'5", long chestnut brown hair, chocolate colored eyes, porcelain skin. Jacob was almost as tall as I was, had russet skin and short black hair – attractive, I guess, but he always seemed to act like he was a little too good for Bella. I would never say anything to either of them – their personal relationship wasn't my business – I was there to serve.

Bella and Jake had probably been coming into the Twilight for about two years, so I'd gotten to know them pretty well and knew what they regularly ordered. If I saw them come in the door, I could have their drink order ready by the time they sat down. A lot of times they danced to the jukebox or if we had a band. A few times, some of their other friends joined them, but normally it was just the two of them.

I would make small talk with both of them and try to get Bella to laugh. I loved to see her smile. To me, it seemed she didn't laugh a lot in her normal, everyday life. Once, Jake left to go outside to make a phone call. I went over to their table and said to Bella, "Are you ok? You seem a little distracted tonight."

"Edward," she smiled a bit while responding, but didn't meet my eyes, "I'm fine, really."

I put my hand gently on her arm and said, "If there's anything I can do, will you let me know?" She nodded gently as Jake came back into the bar. Jake announced they were leaving then and they were gone.

I'm not sure why I had such a fascination with Bella. She was dating someone else – she could be engaged to him for all I knew, although I never saw a ring on her finger. They were probably living together. C'mon, Cullen, pull yourself together, I mentally chided myself! I just seemed very protective of her for some reason. Maybe it was because of my younger sister, Alice, that I felt so protective of this woman.

A few weeks went by and I didn't see Bella or Jake. I wondered if they had started going to another bar in the city or life just took them in a different direction. It was a Tuesday night and it was basically dead in the bar, so I had too much time on my hands to think about things I shouldn't be thinking about. I was glad this was my last night working before I had two days off. Maybe I could get out of town for a couple of days and clear my head or something.

I was doing some deep cleaning of the counter where we kept the shot glasses when I heard the door open. I was never more surprised to see Bella by herself. I quickly readied her regular drink to bring over to her. On a random Tuesday night, we didn't have any cocktail waitresses working unless we called them in special, so I was serving as well as bartending. Bella slipped into her regular booth and stared down at the table.

I walked over to the table and placed her drink in front of her. I started with a smile, "Hey Bella, how are you tonight?" She looked up at me then. Her eyes were red-rimmed as if she'd been crying for hours. I placed my hand lightly on her arm again and said gently, "Bella, are you all right?"

"No," she replied quietly. She brought a tissue up to her eyes and wiped away more tears that were forming in the corners.

"What's wrong?" I asked, slightly panicked.

"Well, you know my boyfriend, Jake, right?" I nodded and she continued. "He has a new girlfriend and has dumped me. Guess I wasn't good enough. God, my heart just aches so badly in my chest right now. I know I shouldn't miss the jerk, but I do."

"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry," I said. I reached over and gave her a small hug. We hadn't really touched before outside of casual contact. Whenever I had touched her, there seemed to be some sort of electric current that ran between us. I didn't want her to think I was coming on to her, especially when she was hurting so badly.

She sighed, "I suppose I should've seen it coming. Seemed like he was always looking for something better, even while we were together. I can't believe I was duped by such an asshole!"

I sat down opposite her in the booth. I said, "What can I do to help?"

Bella let out a big gust of air and said, "Well, I don't suppose you have any time off or anything that you could help me move out of our apartment. I know it's asking a lot of you since you barely know me. I guess I'll have to move in with a friend of mine, but I haven't even started calling around yet. It's all so sudden."

A few older men came into the bar just then. I got up and told her I'd be right back. After I served the new customers at the bar, I quickly called Alice. Her old roommate, Kate, had just moved out to get married. I knew Alice would be looking for a new roommate soon. And I just had a feeling Alice and Bella would get along great. Alice assured me she'd be right down to meet Bella.

I came back over to Bella's table and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. I said, "Bella, I'm more than happy to help you move. I hope you don't think it's too forward of me, but I called my sister, Alice. She's in need of a roommate. Her apartment is great. You'd have room to move around."

She smiled wanly and replied quietly, "Thank you, Edward. I appreciate that." I squeezed her shoulder gently. I wanted to tell her I would be there for her – for anything she needed and I also wanted to kiss her, but now wasn't the time. She needed time to heal. Alice breezed through the door just then and I introduced her to Bella. I left to go wait on some additional customers.

I noticed after awhile, Alice and Bella left together. Alice said she'd call me later. When she did, she told me I needed to be at her apartment in the morning at 9 a.m. with my truck and some Starbucks for her and Bella. That's my little sister – bossy as ever. I went to sleep in my own bed, feeling good that I would be able to help Bella.

The next morning, I met Alice at her apartment with the required Starbucks and we drove to Bella's. I could see already that they were becoming fast friends – not that I ever doubted that with my sister. I hugged Bella loosely around her shoulders and asked, "Jake isn't going to be around today, is he?" She said he wasn't. I continued, "Good, because I just may have to break his jaw! You're too sweet for him to cheat on. What a jerk he is."

She just gave me a little smile as I got to work. I moved the heavier items. Bella didn't have a lot. In fact, everything she owned fit in the back of my truck – in one load. Jake must be more of a creep than I originally thought. OK, Cullen, keep your mind on the task at hand!

When we were finished, Alice had her arm around Bella's waist for support as she called Jake on her cell phone to let him know she'd moved everything out of their apartment. From the way she was speaking, it sounded as though she was leaving a voice mail. I hoped he never set foot in the Twilight Lounge again – I wouldn't be responsible for my actions. She was leaving the key on the kitchen counter so she wouldn't have to meet up with him again later to give it to him. Smart move.

Alice and Bella followed me through traffic in Bella's car. We arrived soon enough and I began moving things into the new place. Bella was surprised at the amount of room she'd have for her own. Alice's apartment had two master suites, so she would have her own bathroom and the closet was large. Bella wasn't bringing a bed with her – thankfully, I couldn't stand the thought – and Kate had left her double bed when she got married. Being the spectacular hostess she was, Alice already had the bed made up and ready for her new roomie.

Soon, we had everything moved in, clothes were hung up in the closet, and we were sitting down for a breather. I told the girls I was hungry for lunch as I had been doing all this hard physical labor. Alice punched me playfully in the gut, but they agreed on lunch.

_Bella_

I had been watching Edward for some time – since Jake and I started coming to the Twilight Lounge. Of course, I always hoped I was doing it unobviously so he or Jake wouldn't notice. He really took time to get to know and care about people, whether they were there for just one time or were regulars. The few casual physical contacts I'd had with Edward, my skin seemed to spark with his. I tried not to gasp in surprise each time they occurred, but I always wondered if he felt it also. My skin never reacted like that to Jake.

Jake and I had been dating for about six months before he asked me to move in with him. At first, everything was great. He was very devoted to me, always came home when he said he would, the sex was good. We started going to the Twilight, which was fun. But then I started noticing little things – like he wasn't coming home from work on time anymore; when I called him, his voice mail would pick up; he started becoming very controlling about who among my friends I could or couldn't see; the sex became non-existent. One evening when he didn't come home from work on time, I decided to go to his office to see what was keeping him. When I opened his office door, I got the shock of my life! His assistant, Leah, was naked and bent over his desk and he was pounding away at her.

He tried to apologize, but they were just empty words. He'd made his choice – now I just needed to move on as well. That's what brought me to the Twilight that night. I needed some time to think. I didn't plan on blurting out my story to Edward, but he was so easy to talk to and such a caring person.

And now, sitting here in this restaurant with Edward and Alice, who was quickly becoming my new best friend, as most of my other friends deserted me when Jake pushed them out of my life – I realized there might be a glimmer of hope for me and my life. Edward was trying to get me to laugh at some lame joke he was telling, but it was so sad, all Alice and I could do is groan. To make him feel better, I did groan with a smile on my face. Alice excused herself to go to the ladies' room.

Edward touched my arm lightly again and said, "Bella, I'm glad I was able to help you. If you need anything – anything at all – please know I'm here for you."

I smiled back at him and replied, "Thank you, Edward. I appreciate that. Can you tell me something? Have you been rubbing your shoes on the carpet or something? Every time you touch me, I feel something like a spark."

He said, "Nope. In fact, there is no carpet in here. And there's no carpet at the bar either." He leaned in closer and continued, "I feel it too, Bella. I don't know what it is." His green eyes were staring into mine and I couldn't look away. I just wanted to fall into their depths and never resurface.

Alice returned and we left the restaurant to return to the apartment. Alice and I still had much to do to get me unpacked. Edward left us, saying he had to run some errands.

"Soooooooo," Alice's musical voice started as soon as we were alone, "I saw you trying to eye-fuck my brother in the restaurant. What's going on, Bella?"

I blushed and replied, "Alice, that is so not what I was doing! Geez! I just broke up with my boyfriend. It's too early to get involved with someone else."

Alice said, "Edward is a good catch. He's very smart, caring and nice. He hasn't really settled down because he hasn't found the right one for him. If you need my help in capturing him up, just say the word."

I rolled my eyes and said, "There's no way I'm ready for that right now, Alice." Our conversation ran to many other subjects as we unpacked the rest of my belongings. Edward was right – I'd have a lot of room here. Alice was appalled at my lack of clothing and decided we should go shopping soon. I feared I was going to turn into some kind of "Bella Barbie" project for her. Yikes!

Life became a good routine for me. Alice and Edward were bringing me out of my depression. I didn't think about Jake everyday. I was no longer pained by him leaving me. A couple of times I went to the Twilight by myself. A couple of random guys asked me to dance with them. I did, although when I looked over their shoulder at Edward behind the bar, his expression wasn't very happy.

Once I stayed until Edward's shift was over. I was hoping he'd give me a ride back home as I had brought a taxi to get there in the first place. He saw me still sitting in the booth, came over and said, "Did you want a ride home?"

I smiled and said, "I thought you'd never ask!" I scrambled out of the booth and followed him to his truck.

After he'd installed me in his truck and got behind the wheel himself, he said, "Bella, I need to say something to you."

"What is it?"

He continued, "I can't take watching you dance with those other guys. It makes me insanely jealous."

"Why, Edward?"

"Because I want to be the one dancing with you, not one of those other jerks who probably have all sorts of sick fantasies running through their minds just by looking at you," he said.

I looked at the nearly empty parking lot we were parked in and said, "Edward, turn on the ignition and get out."

"What?" he looked at me, momentarily stunned, as I opened my door and got out, but he did turn on the ignition as I asked.

His radio was tuned to some station or another, which I could hear much better as he opened his door and got out. "Bella," he said, "what the hell are you doing?"

I said, "You wanted to dance with me. So do it – here. Now."

Thank goodness for slow songs. He pulled me into his arms and muttered something about "crazy woman" against the top of my hair. With my arms wrapped around Edward's waist, that feeling of electricity was now running throughout my entire body.

We danced (or was that swayed closely together?) through a couple of songs. Edward pulled away from me a bit so he could see my face. He looked down into my eyes and said, "Bella, I want to kiss you – so much. But if you don't want that, I'll understand."

I replied, "Edward, stop talking so much and just kiss me." I offered my lips to him. He bent his head down to mine as his long fingers caressed my jaw. His lips were soft as a feather on mine at first, and then they grew more urgent, sucking my bottom lip into his mouth. I was growing dizzy from just kissing this man. I needed to remember to breathe.

Soon, I was pressed up against the side of his truck and Edward was ravaging my mouth and throat with his expert mouth. I was panting and gasping like I was in the midst of running a marathon. "Edward," I groaned, "we have to stop."

"Why?" he asked as he kissed me again, gently.

"Because I won't be able to stop myself from anything else happening. And I don't know if I'm ready for that yet."

"OK," he sighed, but gave me one of his crooked grins, "it's late and I should get you home." He brought me around to the passenger side of the truck again and kissed the back of my hand as he installed me inside. The man was such a romantic!

On the way to my new apartment, Edward said, "Will you put your cell number in my cell phone, so I can call you sometime?" He held out his phone for me to do just that. I complied immediately.

At my apartment, he came around to my door again to let me out, gave me a quick good night kiss and then saw that I was inside the building safely. Then he drove off into the night.

When I got up to the apartment, I found I already had a text message from him:

_I enjoyed kissing you and want to do it again soon! - E_

I responded:

As do I. – B

Edward was entirely too good to me. I didn't realize there were nice guys like him in the world. We dated frequently – at least when his schedule allowed it. He would also come meet me for lunch near my work on most days as well. He'd bring me flowers or some silly little gift that said reminded him of me. I kept every single one. On those Friday and Saturday nights when I couldn't bear to be away from him any longer, I'd go down to the Twilight Lounge and just listen to music. I never danced with anyone, even if they asked. Edward would catch my eye frequently and he would wink or smile at me. Once he was off work for the night, we'd spend more time getting to know each other and kiss. Those kisses were amazing!

One Saturday night, I couldn't stand it any longer. I asked Edward to take me to his apartment because I wanted to see where he lived. It surprised me that he lived so neatly. I expected a bachelor guy to be sloppy – at least that was my experience in the past and I was forever cleaning up after them. After more passionate kissing and groping, I leaned into him and breathed, "Edward, please make love to me."

He looked down at me and said, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," I replied, "I want this. I want you."

"I want you, too – so much," he said. "You don't know how long I've wanted to make love to you. I didn't want to rush you."

He picked me up and my legs were wound around his waist as our lips were molded together. My arms were around his neck and his strong, capable hands were gripping my butt. We made it to his bedroom and shed each other's clothing. I thought Edward was glorious clothed – without, he was a god in human form.

I was just about to say that very thing when he looked at me and said, "God, Bella, you are absolutely breathtaking!" He claimed my mouth again as I'm sure another blush crept up my body. Being loved by Edward was like no other experience. He was so sweet and gentle. He treated me like a priceless treasure in his arms. It felt as though we were made to fit together. Feeling him move inside me was exquisite and I truly felt the loss as he moved to lie beside me afterward. He whispered into the dark, "Thank you, Bella, for letting me love you." I nestled into the fold of his arm and went to sleep beside him.

_Epilogue ~ Edward_

It's been a year since my lovely Bella – the new Mrs. Bella Cullen, I might add – has brightened my life considerably. Lots of changes have happened in that year. Ben and Angela decided to give me a promotion to the bagel shop they had as the manager. So now I'm Edward Cullen, manager of the New Moon Bagel Shop here in Seattle. We have a pretty steady clientele, too. I get to work days, which is a bonus for me since all my evenings and nights are filled with lovely Bella now.

Yes, Alice still spends time with us as well. We wouldn't leave her out – she planned most of our wedding! She claims she's the one who got us together. Whatever – I know it was my charm and good looks. She's looking for another roommate, since I stole her last one away and I'm not sorry in the least for that. Bella and I decided to get an apartment in the same building as Alice so we could have a two bedroom as my lovely wife and I went to the doctor the other day and it seems we're going to be having a baby! I'm totally jazzed!

Were some of you wondering what became of Jake? You might be. One day while Bella and I were at the mall, we saw him and his "flavor of the month." Guess Leah had dumped his sorry ass and moved on. So now he'd moved on to someone else. We didn't speak to Jake, but that could be due to the fact I stopped Bella in the midst of the mall right where we were walking and kissed her passionately. Once we came up for air, she gave me a cheeky grin. I hope the bastard saw it all. It would be good for him to know what he was missing.

**Author's Note: Let me know what you think in the review button below. Also, feel free to suggest future songs!**


	2. Need You Now

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but I'm grateful to Stephenie Meyer for her dream. This story's chapters do not relate to each other in any way other than that they star Edward and Bella in each one.**

Chapter 2 – Need You Now by Lady Antebellum

Bella POV

It's been hours since I came home from dinner with my friends, Rosalie and Alice. We had an all right time, although I know they can see right through my depression. I can't hide anything from them. It doesn't help that one is soon to be his sister-in-law and one is his actual sister – but they are my two best friends and it is what it is. I haven't been the same since Edward Cullen and I broke up.

Our relationship was new, exciting, perfect – it was everything I could've asked for. We had a wonderful relationship, but I thought it would be best if we went our separate ways when Edward went off to college in Chicago. I knew he'd have new experiences there and would meet new people. He wouldn't have to be tied down to his high school crush from Seattle. Edward wasn't happy about it and I, truthfully, wasn't either. But when I went to the airport with his family to see him off to school, I put my game face on and didn't allow one tear to fall.

Of course, as soon as we got back out to the car to drive back to the Cullen family home, that all went to hell in a handbag. Tears were streaming down my face like rain. Alice just held me to her and let me cry. When Edward's father, Carlisle, stopped the car at my new apartment, Alice got out with me and spent the night with me. She knew I wasn't in any shape to be left alone.

I've been attending college here in Seattle and working at a Starbucks. I'm relatively happy with my life. Edward hasn't been home since he's gone to Chicago. I've heard from Alice that he's been working and taking additional classes through the summer months. He's hoping to finish college early. I always want to press her for more details – like if he's seeing anyone in particular – but always think I'll end up sounding like a pathetic loser, so I remember to politely close my mouth instead. I can't believe how much he is always on my mind, whether I attempt to think of other things or not. He's just always there – like the elements – he's just a part of me and he doesn't even know it.

So here in my apartment is where I sit on this Thursday night – and it's very late – about 1:15 a.m. I'm surrounded by photos all around me on the floor – photos of Edward and me. I normally keep these all in a shoebox in the top of my closet for safekeeping. Plus when Alice comes to visit, I don't want to explain to her why I would have a "shrine" of sorts erected to her adorable brother who – let's face it – I'm still in love with. I touch his handsome face on a photo or two and think about Edward. Do I ever cross his mind? Is he so engrossed in his college life and studies that he doesn't think back much on his life back in Seattle – and certainly not the immature girl who let him go without one tear trickling down her cheek?

I glance over at my cell phone, lying next to me on the couch. A while back, Alice had scribbled Edward's cell phone number on a napkin from some restaurant we were at for dinner. I brought the napkin home and placed it in the box with the photos. I could never get up the nerve to actually program the number into my phone – unsure that he'd want to hear from me. What would I say? My fingers started to get itchy as I stared down at the number and I actually started to dial the number. What the hell was I thinking? I threw the phone farther away from me on the couch and began to cry.

Edward POV

Hell. My life was pure hell. No way around it. I was working my ass off in college, attempting to get everything finished so I could graduate early. Not that this college in Chicago didn't provide a fine education – I just wanted to get back to Seattle and begin my life. The life I wanted to have seemed to be snatched away from me before it barely started. Where should I start? I guess the beginning is always a good place.

My beginning seemed to start in high school. I was a good student – in the top ten percent. Studying seemed to come easy to me. High school, though, was immature in so many ways. I felt like asking my dad if I could start taking college preparatory classes in my sophomore year, but he told me I could not. Damn. He wanted me to have the entire "high school education experience." Great. I bet you can sense my excitement.

Things changed about halfway through my sophomore year. We received a student transfer from Phoenix – the lovely Isabella Swan. I dated a few times before Bella came to my school, but it was never anything serious. But – _BAM!_ – as soon as I saw Bella, I was done. I knew there would never be anyone else for me. I can't tell you how many times I rearranged chairs in classrooms or moved people so Bella could sit next to me until she finally agreed to go out with me. She seemed more mature than those other nitwit girls in high school who seemed so fake.

The first time I ever kissed her was probably two weeks after we started dating. I was hugging her and sort of mumbled into her neck that I wanted to kiss her. She encouraged me and so I did. After that, I didn't ever want to stop kissing her. She smelled so damn good and I wanted to be close to her all the time. I never pushed her to go any further. It wasn't that I didn't want to "get lucky" with my Bella, but I respected her way too much for that. There would be more than enough time for that later.

Alice was forever taking pictures of us every place we went, every prom, every birthday party. Bella and I took some pictures of each other together as well – although she usually had me taking the pictures since she said they turned out better since I had longer arms. I was actually able to get some of the pictures and kept them in a small album in my dresser.

Then, right before college, the bombshell was dropped on my perfect world. Bella, the love of my life, wanted to break up with me. She tried to explain that it would be better – easier – for both of us if we weren't a couple during college. I would be going to a new city, I'd be meeting new people, experiencing new things, etc., etc. None of that meant anything without Bella. In fact, I'd be happy to just chuck it all and stay right in Seattle with her. I knew my dad had already paid a mint for my college education in Chicago, but dammit – my heart was breaking. I agreed – but I was not happy.

I tried to remain stoic when my family and Bella were seeing me off at the airport in Seattle. I hugged each one of them in turn. When I got to Bella, she attempted to smile. I saw she had her "game face" on. I knew right then she wasn't happy either, she was just trying to appear strong for me. I kissed her gently on the lips and then turned and walked away to my departing gate. By the time I was seated on the plane, I was crying. My seatmate tried to console me, but I told him there was really nothing he could do as I was going off to college and I'd just broken up with my girlfriend. That seemed to shut him up. I didn't want anyone's sympathy; I just wanted to be miserable all by myself.

So that brings me to right now. I've been working my ass off at my courses to get done early so I can get back home to Bella. I haven't met any girls here in Chicago because I'm not looking. There is only one girl for me and that girl is in Seattle and has the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes in the world.

I'm sitting here in my dorm room – thank God it's private – and have just downed a shot of whiskey. That crap burns my throat. I wish Bella would come sweeping in the door. Does she ever think about me? There's never a day that goes by that I _don't_ think of her. She's in every thought I have. If she did come sweeping in the door at this moment, I'd tell her I love her and there's no way I can be apart from her any longer.

About a year ago, Alice texted me Bella's cell phone number. I programmed it into my cell phone right away. Would she ever want to hear from me? This being apart is killing me on so many levels, I think to myself as I take another shot of whiskey and feel the burn.

It's 3:15 a.m. as I look down at the letter in my lap that's next to the small photo album of Bella and me. She's so damn beautiful – I can't resist stroking her face in several of the pictures. The letter is from the dean of the college and states I've finished all my courses – early. It was in my mailbox when I checked it last night. There's only one place I want to go now – there's only one thing I need.

I scroll through the contacts on my cell phone and hit "send" on Bella's name. I know it's only 1:15 a.m. in Seattle and I pray she'll be awake. I promised myself I wouldn't call – but I need her – need her like the air I breathe.

"Hello?" she answered. She sounded stuffy.

"Hi Bella. It's Edward. Are you ok? Did I wake you?"

She replied, "No, I was awake. How are you? It's been forever!"

"Yes," I said as I ran my hand through my hair. "It's been entirely too long. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, Edward."

I said, "So much, Bella. I can't even tell you." Just hearing her voice is starting to make me emotional. Am I going to lay it all out on the phone or am I going to wait until I'm back in Seattle? I guess lay it all out and see what the reception is.

"Me too." I hear the grin in her voice.

"Bella, I have some things I need to say," I said.

"OK," she agreed to hear me out.

"Baby," I think it was the first time I'd addressed her that way, "I can't stop thinking about you. I need you like I need air to breathe. I love you and I don't want to be apart from you any longer. I just got the notice that I'm done with all my college classes so I'm free to come back home. As soon as I get off the phone with you, I'm calling the airlines to book a flight."

There was no response, so I said tentatively, "Bella?"

"I'm here," she said, sounding stuffy again. "I think that's the best thing I've ever heard. I love you, too. I'm sorry I broke up with you. I thought I was doing you a favor."

"I will never want anyone but you, baby. Please believe me."

"OK," she said tentatively.

"Will I see you at the airport?" I questioned.

"Definitely!" she responded.

_Epilogue_

It was a little over a 4-hour flight from Chicago to Seattle and I felt like I was bouncing in my seat the entire way. I couldn't get to Bella fast enough. I felt like I was jacked up on Mountain Dew and I hadn't even had any to drink! Did the pilot need any assistance flying the plane? Could we _please_ put it into turbo-drive?

Once we made it to the terminal and I was able to get my carry-on bag and start walking down the concourse, I was never so glad for my long legs. Every step got me closer to my girl.

Right after I came through the security checkpoint, there she was, looking directly at me. I ran to her as she ran to me. I tossed my bag to the ground and picked her up. I kissed her like I'd been away for four years – well, I had been! I was right back to where I was in high school – I didn't want to stop kissing her.

And I was finally _home_ – in every sense of the word.

**Author's Note: If you enjoyed this chapter, please press "review" and let me know. Thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3  That Summer

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but I'm grateful to Stephenie Meyer for her dream!  
Please keep in mind I really don't know anything about Kansas or wheat farming...it was just an idea that came to me. Enjoy!**

That Summer

Edward POV

It seemed like I'd been driving for days. Hell, I _had_ been driving for days. Kansas was famous for its golden wheat fields waving in the breeze and that's about all I'd seen for days, along with various homesteads dotting the landscape. I dragged my hand through my bronze hair in frustration and thought about my young life. I'd just turned 19 years old and my parents basically kicked me out. _Son, you're 19 and through with high school. Since you didn't do well enough to get into a college, you'd best get a job. Good luck with that._ Well, happy birthday to me. I guess I should be grateful they let me take my old blue Chevy truck with me. I focused my emerald green eyes on the road in front of me again after a quick check in the rearview mirror that all my meager worldly goods were safely stored under a tarp in the bed of my truck.

I grew up on a farm, for fuck's sake. I figured I'd marry some local girl and settle down in our hometown. The fact was, I'd dated a few girls, but most of them just wanted access to my older brother, Emmett, who was next in line to inherit our family farm. I was the "black sheep" of the Cullen family. I liked to make music with my guitar and write articles for our hometown newspaper. As a creative type, my father basically had no use for me. Not that I wasn't up at the ass crack of dawn every morning, doing chores with every other member of our family – so it wasn't like I didn't know my way around a farm.

I sighed as I saw a speed limit sign coming up. Most of these were a joke. You were in and out of most of these towns out here in the midst of Kansas within the blink of an eye – why the hell did you need to slow down? But slow down, I did. I'm nothing if not polite – had that drilled into my head at a young age, too. And if I wasn't polite – especially to women – you could go select your own willow branch to get your ass beat with. Good times. Maybe being thrown out of my childhood home at 19 wasn't such a bad thing.

Maybe this town would have a job available for me. I was running low on available cash. I pulled up in front of the local feed store and shut off the engine. I decided to leave my well-used Stetsons in the truck because I wasn't planning on being out in the hot summer sun long – just long enough to go inside and check their bulletin board for any "help wanted" notices.

I opened the door and saw the usual suspects gathered inside. Most of them were my father's age and some older. I glanced around, smiled in greeting, and crossed to the bulletin board. After looking through several advertisements of items for sale: dogs, farm equipment, assorted tractors. Then my eye caught the only "help wanted" ad there:

_HELP WANTED_

_Honest, able-bodied man to help with wheat farm outside of city limits._

_Must be experienced with all aspects of farming and machinery._

_Room, board and salary paid until the Fall harvest._

_Apply at desk._

_Widow Black_

I removed the advertisement from the board and took it to the desk. This was definitely a job I could do. I couldn't understand why someone else hadn't already applied. Maybe Widow Black was a real battleaxe. Well, she couldn't be any worse than living with my father.

A man with bushy eyebrows behind the counter looked up as I approached with the advertisement in my hand. "Ah," he said, "the ad from Widow Black. Think you're cut out for it, son?"

"I believe I am," I replied, trying to exude an air of confidence.

"Let me buy you lunch at the diner across the street – interview you a bit," he said. I agreed and followed him. We were soon seated and enjoying a hearty lunch. He asked about my upbringing and past. I told him all I knew about myself and my history with farming.

Mr. Newton, as he'd told me to call him, told me about the Widow Black. Seems she had been running her own wheat farm for the past five years after her husband passed away in a farming accident. She'd hired some other men to work for her, but they'd been unreliable – some had stole from her, some worked one day and not shown up again. I had nowhere else to go. I definitely wouldn't steal anything from someone. What the hell kind of men were these?

We finished our lunch and Mr. Newton clapped me on the shoulder. "Son," he said, "it seems like you'll work out just fine. I'll call Widow Black and let her know you're on your way. Let me get you the directions to her place." I soon had the directions in hand and was driving out of town in the opposite direction twenty miles to the East.

When I turned off the paved road and drove up the long gravel driveway to the homestead, I found it was basically neat, although a bit worn down. The buildings were all painted white with green trim. I had good carpentry skills as well as being very proficient at all farm chores, so I knew I could fix any of the buildings. Now I was just hoping I would make a good impression on Widow Black. Mr. Newton hadn't given me any personal identifying information about her, so I had no idea what to expect.

As I shut off my truck engine, a large golden retriever came bounding out the front screen door of the farmhouse, barking, followed by a slight woman who was taking in me and my truck. She yelled, "Seth! Enough!" Seth stopped barking immediately. The woman walked across the porch and down the steps. As she walked toward me, I took her in. She had long chestnut brown hair that was pulled back into a single braid down her back, porcelain skin, and chocolate brown eyes. She was wearing blue jeans and a red and blue plaid shirt. I wasn't good at judging people's age, but I'd guess Widow Black must be in her late 20's or early 30's. The woman was fucking gorgeous! "So," she said, appraising me, "you must be Edward Cullen."

"Um…yes, ma'am," I answered, once I found my voice. Seth decided I was friend rather than foe, and he licked my hand. I gave him a pat on the head, which he enthusiastically leaned into. "I'm here to apply for the job you have available."

"Come on inside," Widow Black said, "It's cooler in there. I made some iced tea. We can talk about the job." She turned around and walked back up the steps and across the porch. I followed a bit behind her, trying not to watch her ass with every sway of her hips. This was a difficult task as that damn braid of hers just seemed to point to it. Dammit, Cullen, you need to keep your dick in your pants! I was suddenly glad Seth was beside me, distracting me.

As we sat at her farmhouse table, Widow Black started, "Mr. Newton seemed very complementary of you. He said you grew up on a farm?"

"Um, yes." I was going to have to stop staring into her eyes – that much was clear. I couldn't form a complete sentence. She was going to think I was mentally incompetent. Man up, Cullen! I looked down at Seth flopped on the floor between us and continued, "I've done every kind of farm chore imaginable. We had horses, cows, chickens, wheat, green beans, and some berries."

"Well," she said, "as you can see, I have about five acres of wheat, only one cow, a couple of chickens, and machinery. It would be your job to keep all that operational. Do you think you're up for it? Since my husband died, I've learned my way around this farm, but I know I'm not as fast as a man would be."

I kept my eyes away from her mesmerizing lips as she spoke. "I think you've done a pretty good job."

A small blush crept onto her cheeks as she replied, "Thank you. So, if you could take over the wheat and the buildings, I'll take care of the animals. I will also cook all the meals, do laundry and clean the barns."

"That sounds more than fair. Are you sure?"

"Yes. And next we need to discuss sleeping arrangements. This house has a total of five bedrooms. You can choose which of the spare rooms you'd like to be yours. My room has a lock on it and I do own a gun, so don't think of getting any ideas, Edward Cullen."

Holy hell. I'm sure my Adam's apple bobbed up and down as I swallowed. "Um, no, ma'am."

She took me on a tour of the house and I chose the room furthest from hers, just to make her more comfortable. Once that was done, I brought my household goods inside. The only real furniture item I had was a rocking chair I'd made when I was 16. I was going to store it in the barn, but Widow Black insisted I put it on the porch to use in the evenings when our chores were done, stating this would be my home for now.

After that, she took me on a tour of the homestead, showing me where all the equipment was stored, introducing me to the cow and chickens. Seth loved tagging along with us. He tried to be everywhere at once – beside his mistress and beside me, then checking out any new smells he might've missed since the last time he'd been out here. Silly dog!

Soon, it was supper time and she made a wonderful meal of steak, mashed potatoes and green beans, along with wild blackberry pie with homemade ice cream for dessert. I knew I'd definitely never go hungry at this house. Widow Black and I talked about different subjects during dinner. She talked about how she'd grown up in a small town in Washington State and moved to Kansas with her husband because he'd wanted to be a wheat farmer.

When it was time for bed, I moved toward my new bedroom. It had been an eventful day and I knew I had a busy day ahead of me. I heard a quiet voice behind me, "Edward?" I turned and looked at Widow Black, who was at the other end of the hallway, near her bedroom door. "Call me Bella."

I smiled widely and said, "Good night then, Bella. Thank you for this opportunity." I went into my room and shut the door. I knew already my dreams were going to be filled with nothing but that beautiful woman down the hallway. Already my fingers were itching to take that elastic out of the bottom of her braid and spread out her beautiful hair.

What the hell was I thinking? I'm a fucking virgin. She's never going to allow me to do that or want me in that way. I might as well just squelch that pipe dream right now. As close as I'm ever going to get to her is in my dreams. Obviously I just needed a summer full of hard work to make me so bone-aching tired that I wouldn't remember how horny I actually was. Raging teenage hormones were a bitch when there was no way you could act on them. Fuck my life!

When the rooster crowed the next morning, that wasn't the only cock that was up. I prayed Bella wasn't anywhere near the bathroom or she was going to see the boner sticking out of my boxer briefs that seemed to stretch from my body to at least the paved road. I sniffed the air and it smelled like coffee and bacon. I needed to get a move on as Bella was already making breakfast.

The warm water from the shower spray felt good against my body as I soaped up. I was hoping against hope sound didn't travel too far out of this bathroom as I held my cock firmly in my hand and began tugging on it. "Ugh," I involuntarily groaned out. Oh hell, that felt so fucking good. Soon my hand was moving faster up and down my shaft. I felt that familiar coil in the pit of my stomach and I knew an orgasm was coming faster than on oncoming train. As I watched the ribbons of sperm release from my cock, I yelled out, "Oh fuck, Bella, yes!" As I gripped the tiled wall for support and my brain settled back into my head, I realized what I said. Oh shit, shit, shit!

I cleaned up the shower, toweled off, went back to my room, dressed in jeans, t-shirt, and a plaid shirt for the day. The world still seemed to be revolving on its axis. She hadn't come to my room and asked me to get the hell out. I guess that was something. Maybe she hadn't heard me. I went downstairs and entered the kitchen. Seth's tail thumped against the floor in greeting. At least he was happy to see me. Bella's back was to me as she was at the stove. She had her classic braid going on already. "Good morning, Bella," I said.

"Good morning," she said. "I hope you like your eggs scrambled. That's really the only way I know how to make them."

I said I did. When she handed me my plate with eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast, did I see a tiny smirk in the corner of her mouth? If I did, it was gone in a second. There was orange juice and coffee with fresh cream as well.

After breakfast, I went out to check the fields. Since there hadn't been any significant rain lately, the wheat would need to be watered today. I hitched the watering apparatus onto the back of the tractor and set out into the fields. Once that was set into place and going – which took until lunchtime – I was definitely ready for a break.

Bella insisted I come inside for lunch. I kept insisting I was too aromatic and dirty for her fine kitchen. Finally she huffed, threw her kitchen towel over her shoulder and practically dragged me to the barn where there was a small sink where I could wash up. I did leave my boots outside. I know nothing gets women riled up more than men tromping their dirty work boots all over their nice, clean floors.

After lunch, I was outside, repairing some of the out buildings. My muscles were already screaming in protest. I was sure I'd sleep like the dead tonight. Later in the afternoon, I shut down all the watering to the fields and left the apparatus out there. Kansas weather was unpredictable and you never knew when you were going to get a good rain.

I'm sure dinner was again excellent, but I was too tired to care. I knew Bella hadn't had anyone to talk to all day, so I wanted to be there for her – to listen to her about her day, what she was thinking about. We had our dessert of raspberries over homemade ice cream on the porch. I noticed she moved my rocking chair next to her own – I supposed so we could talk easier.

One moment we were talking, the next I was dreaming a most fantastic dream. Bella was sweeping the hair off my forehead and saying in such a sweet voice how adorable I looked when I was asleep. I startled myself awake, knowing there was no way this could be happening. I looked over at Bella's chair and she was no longer sitting there. She was leaning up against the porch rail, across from me. How did she get over there? I mumbled something about going to bed and I barely got my door shut before I fell across my bed, still fully clothed.

Bella and I fell into a routine – she worked as hard as I did. Every time I looked toward the house from the fields, she was hanging laundry outside to dry, mucking out the barn, picking berries from the small berry bushes she had planted, tending the flowers around the house, or doing a million other little things. She had trained Seth to stay around the house and I was glad about that. I didn't want him getting hurt out in the fields. I was pretty sure if some danger came to the house, he would bark up a storm. I'd grown very fond of Bella in a short amount of time and would do anything to protect her.

My muscles finally toughened up so I wasn't falling asleep in my dessert every night. I had taken to whittling some small things for her – a ring holder to sit beside her kitchen sink while she did dishes, a small dog to remind her of Seth, a larger "B" for her first name to sit on one of her bookshelves with her books. Tears came to her eyes each time I presented her with one of these little gifts. It was the very least I could do for her – she'd given me a place to stay and a job.

One evening, I was sitting out on the porch, waiting for Bella to bring out our dessert and coffee as she did every other night. I was looking off into the distance and saw a storm was brewing. It looked like thunder and lightning would be upon us before long. I hoped the lightning would stay up in the clouds and not touch any of this wheat. It was well-watered, though, so we should be in good shape.

I heard the screen door snap shut and I looked over to smile at Bella. What I saw made my jaw go slack and I'm sure if there were any flies around, I'd be catching them with my mouth hanging open like a dead fish. Bella was wearing a dress. It wasn't an overly fancy one – just a sleeveless flower print with a scoop neck and a small flared-out skirt. Holy fuck me sideways! I didn't know she even owned a dress. My eyes immediately snapped to hers and I saw that her hair was out of its braid and tumbling down over her shoulders and down her back in the softest of waves.

She smiled at me and said, "Why, Edward, you look like you've never seen a woman in a dress before."

OK, farm boy, try to speak intelligently here. "Um, I have. But you…you're gorgeous." As soon as that smattering of lame words was out, I could've kicked my own ass right off the porch.

Bella walked in front of me and sat the tray of coffee and pie on the small table between our chairs. She blushed a bit and said, "Thank you, Edward. Coffee?"

"Not right now. Thank you." Nope, couldn't drink coffee when my cock was straining at my jeans. There was only one thing I wanted and it started with a "B" – and it wasn't that delicious blueberry pie that was sitting on the tray either.

"I know what I'd like, Edward. And I think you want the same. I think I've known it from your first morning here," Bella said as she was now leaning over me with her hands on the arms of my chair. I swallowed – almost audibly. Yes, best not to speak. Because fuck – she had heard me in the shower! I wasn't sure whether to blush or turn white as a sheet in embarrassment. One of Bella's index fingers curled under my chin and she continued, "Edward, tell me. Do you want me?"

My eyes had never left hers during our entire exchange. "Y-yes," I stammered out. Bella's face came closer and her lips pressed against mine. I never imagined anything so soft. Her hand moved from under my chin to behind my head where she began fisting my hair, pulling at it gently. I was going to orgasm in about 30 seconds if she didn't stop doing that – it felt so fucking good.

She let up on my hair – thankfully before I had an orgasm – and took my hand. "Come to my bed," Bella said quietly. She wasn't going to have to ask me twice. I followed along with her although it was still difficult for me to believe this was happening.

In her room, we left the door open – no reason to shut it – and because we were too busy kissing each other. I knew my kissing technique left a lot to be desired. Bella didn't complain at all. She'd just teach me something new with her mouth and I would reciprocate immediately. I loved having her tongue inside my mouth and I slid mine into hers. She moaned in pleasure, so I must've been doing something right. She divested me of my shirt and my jeans.

Then she turned her back to me and requested I unzip her dress as she held up her hair. I did as she requested. As she removed her dress from her shoulders and down her body, I came up behind her and buried my nose into her hair. She smelled like strawberries and I stroked the part of her hair that my nose wasn't buried in. "Bella," I said quietly, "please don't hide this beautiful hair from me any longer. I want to see it just like this every day."

She turned back around and breathed, "Oh Edward," and guided us over to the bed and sat us down. And now my performance anxiety kicked into high gear.

"Um, Bella? I'm embarrassed to say it but I've never done this before," I said, as honest as I could be.

"Baby, it's all right. Just let me take care of you," she said gently. She reached around herself and unhooked her bra. When she tossed her bra to the floor, in the dim light from the hallway, I could see the most gorgeous breasts I'd ever seen. My breath must've caught in my throat because Bella noticed. She was kissing me again and covering my hands with hers. She brought my hands up to her breasts and squeezed gently. I felt her nipples harden under my touch and I was instantly intrigued. "More," she said excitedly as she hooked her fingers in the sides of her panties and quickly moved them down her thighs and off her legs. I did exactly that – pinching and caressing her nipples – watching them pucker in excitement with my touch.

Soon my boxer briefs had joined the rest of my clothes on the floor and we were lying naked in her bed, kissing and touching. "Relax," Bella said, as she began kissing my neck, down my chest, across my stomach, until she got to my cock. I could see my cock standing at attention from everything she'd done for me already. I couldn't imagine her doing any more.

My senses were so heightened I could hear the rain pelting the window outside and saw some lightning flash against the dark sky. The air seemed to be charged with electricity.

Bella raised up on one arm, stuck out her pink tongue and swirled it around the tip of my cock. I sat bolt upright. "Baby, relax. It will be ok. I want to make you feel good." She didn't know how fucking good that felt already which was why I sat bolt upright, but I forced myself to get comfortable on the pillows once again.

Once again, Bella's mouth was on my cock. She licked up the underneath side, she stuck as much of it in her mouth as she could, she sucked on it like it was a popsicle on a hot summer day. Then one of her hands slipped between my legs and began massaging my balls. The familiar coil in my belly was back. I was going to explode – right into Bella's beautiful mouth, if she didn't move. "Oh fuck, Bella…so good…I'm going to…Bella, you have to move…fuck…" to which she just kept bobbing her beautiful head up and down my shaft and moaning and I exploded deep down her throat.

Bella was smiling when she kissed back up my body and leaned over to take a drink from the glass of water on the nightstand beside her bed. "Did you like that, baby?"

"Bella, that was amazing! I can barely think a coherent thought. You make me feel so fantastic! I can't even believe this is happening."

"I like making you feel good, Edward. You've done so much for me," Bella said as her fingers drew lazy circles through the hair on my chest.

I said, "I want to make you feel good. Will you show me how?" She nodded and encouraged me to kiss her neck and suck on her earlobes. Then I moved my mouth down to those beautiful breasts. As much as she liked my fingers massaging and pinching those nipples into tight buds, I think she liked my mouth on them as well – if her appreciative moans were anything to go by.

Then I moved down Bella's beautiful body to her very warm center. Bella was very good for my ego, instructing me in how she liked to be licked and sucked. I couldn't believe how wet she got and how great she tasted. I didn't want to waste a drop. Apparently licking and sucking on her little clit was her "hot button" that drew her over the edge of orgasm, which had her gripping onto the sheets for dear life. I wanted to keep going, but she insisted she was too sensitive.

Seeing her that worked up, though, had me hard as a rock again. Bella was thrilled with my recovery time and she insisted on "deflowering" me right away. Whatever you say, ma'am. She had me lie back down on the bed and she was above me, lowering her very slick pussy onto my hard cock. The sight of it almost had me exploding immediately, but I tried to hold it together for her.

I was disappointed I didn't last very long during my first "deflowering" session. Bella soothed me and told me it was ok – it would last longer the next time. And it did. I don't remember getting much sleep that night. I wanted to keep trying, to keep making Bella feel excellent with me inside her.

Finally, she told me I wore her out and she needed some sleep. I made a move to get out of bed to go to my own room. "No, Edward, I want you in here – with me," Bella said sleepily. I got back under the covers and slid my arm around her body and went to sleep next to her. I knew one thing – I was going to fucking hate it when this summer ended. Bella was everything I'd ever wanted and never even knew what to ask for.

When I woke up the next morning, Bella wasn't in bed with me. Did the woman ever sleep – except for the few moments when I wore her out? I smelled coffee and ham cooking. Fuck that. I had a boner that the beautiful woman downstairs needed to take care of. Breakfast could wait.

I stumbled down the stairs without getting dressed and went into the kitchen. There was beautiful Bella, at the stove again, cooking. "Morning, Edward," she said without looking at me. She was dressed in a nightgown and had that infernal braid in her hair already.

I stalked up behind her, put my lips to her earlobe, kissing it gently, and said, "What did I tell you about this braid?" My fingers found my target and gently removed the elastic from the end and began unbraiding her hair with my fingers. When she felt what I was doing, she squeaked and tried to get away from me. "Not so fast, Bella." There was no way she could get away from me.

She finally got turned around and my hands had done their work on her hair so it was flowing around her now. "You're naked," she said in surprise.

I picked her up by the hips and carried her over to the table. She'd already set our empty plates at one end, but the other end was clear. I sat her on the clear end and bunched her nightgown up to her hips. I kissed her neck with a smile and said, "And now you are too, Bella. You left me in bed with a big problem and you need to fix it."

She giggled nervously as I lay her back on the table and positioned myself at her already-wet entrance. As I slid inside her, she moaned, "Oh Edward, that feels so very good. More!" Who knew being a newly-deflowered virgin with the woman who made you that way made you so damn bold? I held her calves up around my neck and kissed each one in turn as Bella came apart underneath me. I kissed her afterward as I lifted her gently down from the table. I went back upstairs chuckling to find some clothes as Bella was muttering something about having to bleach the kitchen table.

As we ate breakfast with the scent of bleach in the air, I looked out the kitchen window and saw it was still raining. I reasoned I could do some work inside the barn today, working on farm machinery, but Bella suggested we stay inside.

And stay inside we did. In fact, I think we spent the entire day naked as she showed me more new and delicious ways to pleasure her. I was a very willing student in that arena. Every time I was inside her, I lasted longer and longer. We ended the evening by taking a bath together and she showed me the bathroom was not soundproof as I originally thought. Lying beside Bella in bed, listening to the rain splattering against the windowpane, I truly felt at home.

For the remainder of the summer, I continued to fix up Bella's homestead until it looked it tip-top shape. Whenever I caught her in the barn, I would scoop her up and make love to her against a wall. I think she liked that random wall sex. She didn't wear her hair in a braid any longer. She did wear it up in a clip, just because it was easier for doing chores and the like. But it was very easy for me to take that clip out and bury my nose in her beautiful hair whenever I wanted.

Soon, the summer was over and the wheat had been harvested. It was time for me to go. All my belongings were packed into my truck again. I didn't want to leave. I told Bella I would sleep in my old room as I'd get up long before daybreak so I wouldn't disturb her sleep and get on the road. I kissed her soundly and shut my bedroom door behind me. That night, I barely slept. It felt like my heart was breaking.

Before I left the house the next morning, I left my last gift for her on the farmhouse table – a heart I'd whittled for her, but kept a secret until just now. I left her a note as well: _"Bella, I wish I didn't have to go. Ask me to stay. Please look after my heart – I'm leaving it here with you."_ And then I was on the road before I thought about it any longer. If I would've thought about it, I would've been up those stairs and at her bedside, begging her to stay. As it was, I had to stop ten miles down the road as I was crying like a baby. I know I needed to man up and stop being such a wimp – but dammit, that woman didn't just take my virginity, she took my heart.

_Epilogue #1_

Three months later, I was working for a furniture manufacturer in Kansas City. Where the plant was located, I could look out at fields of wheat waving in the breeze. Every time I did, my heart would clench, so I just determined not to look out the window and keep my mind and eyes on my work.

I'd dated a girl a couple of times, but broke it off quickly after I saw Bella every time I hugged the other girl. I only wanted Bella. Did she ever think of me? Maybe she thought I was just some silly farm boy who just worked for her this last summer. My mind had to stop going down this destructive path or I was going to have to start drinking to wipe the memories away. I checked the clock on the wall and saw it was time for lunch.

I decided to go to the diner across the street from the manufacturing plant. It kept up a brisk business, but my lunch was at 11 a.m., so I got there before the usual lunch crowd. I settled into my regular booth and ordered my usual – meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Fuck – today I forgot to bring a book with me. Normally, I brought a book so I didn't have to think about _her_ during my lonely lunch hour.

The bell above the door jangled, announcing another customer to the diner – nothing new at this time of day. I stared out into the street, hoping my lunch would arrive soon. I felt, rather than heard, someone stop by my table. "Edward?" No, I was just imagining that voice. I had now gone delusional.

"Edward?" she questioned again and my head snapped around. There, in all her beautiful glory, was Bella. I wasn't just imagining things. She was smiling at me. I tried not to appear like a lame dumbass and smile back.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Please sit down."

She complied and said, "Well, I came to town to get some things for the baby. Now that I've found you, the day just got even better. That is, if you…"

_For the baby? What?_ "Bella, what are you saying?"

She dabbed a tear away from her eye that had formed there and continued, "I'm saying that I'm…we're…pregnant. I always thought I couldn't get pregnant, but apparently my late husband was impotent."

OK, Cullen, time to get your shit together in a big way! "So, you're saying _I_ got you pregnant?"

Bella laughed lightly and said, "Yes, Edward. And when I woke up and saw your note that morning, it made me so sad. I wanted to go after you so badly. I love you. My heart is yours always, if you want it."

Cue Edward Cullen grinning like a damn fool. I was out of that booth like lightning and pulled Bella out of her booth opposite me and was hugging her like there was no tomorrow. "Say it again," I commanded.

"My heart is yours…" she got out before my lips were covering hers in a kiss I'd been waiting to give her for three months. I could care less if everyone in the diner was staring.

My boss was coming in the diner's front door as the waitress was delivering my lunch. I paid her for my meal and then told my boss his lunch was on me today and that I was quitting immediately as I was going home. He smiled, shook my hand and wished me luck.

You know it didn't take me very long to pack up my belongings and hitch my truck to Bella's. There was no way we were riding home in separate vehicles. I wanted my arm around her the entire way and her snuggled right up next to me.

_Epilogue #2_

Yes, the people in our little town gossiped when they found out Bella was marrying that "young Cullen boy." Let them talk. I could care less. I was getting Bella to myself every day and night for the rest of my life!

We diversified our farm so we grew more than wheat. We were growing different crops all year round and making money from all of it.

Seth was happy to have someone to protect when our beautiful daughter made an appearance, followed by twin boys the next year. After an additional daughter, Bella said she was done having children. I was ok with that. She was a great mother to all our children. And most of all, she was the best wife I could've ever hoped for. One year, she stenciled above our living room fireplace the saying, "All because two people fell in love." That was never truer at our house!

**Author's Note: Please review, if you'd like. Thanks!**


	4. Amazed

**Disclaimer/Author's Notes: I don't own Twilight, but I'm grateful to Stephenie Meyer for her dream/vision. Please don't steal my original work. This is the M-rated honeymoon out-take for my fan fiction story, "Saddle Up Your Heart." I'm including the entire honeymoon in case you are reading this series of one-shots as stories in their own right. I normally provide epilogues for my one-shots. There will not be one for this as the epilogue will occur in the main storyline.**

**Edward POV**

We arrived at the opulent hotel and we went right up to the registration desk. The man behind the desk said, "Ah, Sheriff Cullen and Mrs. Cullen! Good to see you and congratulations to you both! Here is the key to your room. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask any member of our staff."

I led Bella over to the "rising room" and the attendant guided the contraption up to the third floor. We marveled at how such a thing could exist in modern times! It was easier than climbing the stairs.

Outside our room, I fit the key in the lock and then swung the door open. Bella made a move to go into the room, but I held tightly on her hand. "No, love, I want to carry you over the threshold," I said.

"Oh, you!" she said. "Trying to be a romantic, I see."

"Of course, it is our wedding day, after all!" I responded, as I scooped her up in my arms and carried her through the doorway.

I kicked the door shut with my foot while she was still in my arms and kissed her deeply. She returned my kiss and even welcomed it. "Oh Bella," I said, "I will never get enough of kissing you."

"Hmm," she responded, "you probably should put me down then so you have the strength to continue."

"Oh," I questioned, "now who's being incorrigible?"

She tried her best to look innocent, but she wasn't fooling me. I strode over to the brass bed which was polished to a high shine and laid her carefully on it, caging her in with my arms.

"Edward," she warned.

"What, love?" I asked.

"It's the middle of the day!"

I looked up, barely noticing. I supposed it was. I went over to the windows and pulled down the blinds and shut the curtains over them. That darkened the room considerably. I looked back over at Bella. She had propped herself up on her elbows and was watching me.

"See, love? It's much darker now," I said. Even though it was darker in the room, I could still see the blush that was evident on her beautiful face. I then continued, "I'm going to go into this dressing room off the main room and you can go behind the screen to change. When you're ready for me to come back out, let me know."

She looked at me warily but nodded.

I moved into the dressing room for about ten minutes – which felt like an eternity – and finally Bella called to me that she was ready.

I came out to find Bella in the bed with the covers pulled up to her chin. I removed my suit jacket and placed it over the back of a chair. I removed my shoes and socks next. Then I began to unbutton my white shirt. I looked over at Bella and she was still watching me. I felt as if I shouldn't make any sudden movements – she may bolt from the room at any moment.

I removed my trousers next and was only wearing my union suit. Bella had completely turned her face away from me and a deep red blush colored her cheeks. "Love," I said gently, "look at me." She did turn her eyes toward mine, but only looked me directly in the eye.

I moved cautiously toward the bed and slipped in beside her. Her eyes never left my face. I gently stroked her cheek. "Bella, I will take care of you and never hurt you. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, but I'm scared," she fairly wailed.

"Oh, love," I said as I pulled her fully against me, "I am, too. But you know what? We'll learn together. I love you so much, Bella."

"I love you, too, Edward," she mumbled from where her face was nestled between my neck and my shoulder.

Since her neck was at the perfect angle for my mouth, I kissed it gently, sliding my tongue out to gently lick down the length of it. Bella gasped. She turned her face toward mine and I kissed her fully on the mouth and then drew back slightly.

Bella arched her neck up so her lips could meet and deepen my kiss. I smiled against her mouth. It was finally time. My hand slid over her nightgown and then my fingers began untying the satin ribbons holding it together.

As I pulled back the white gossamer fabric, I wasn't certain what to expect, but what I did find what sheer perfection – creamy white skin with rosy tipped nipples. I hoped I could manage to do anything Dad told me to do correctly. _Edward!_ I admonished myself. _This is no time to be thinking about your father. Think about Bella!_ I gazed down at Bella's beautiful body and was so overcome; I wanted to weep at the loveliness.

I tentatively lowered my mouth to her nipple closest to me and placed a kiss on the tip of it. "Edward," Bella breathed.

"Do you like that, love?" I asked. She answered with a dreamy sigh when I did it again.

When I took her nipple into my mouth, she gasped and gave a throaty "Ooooo" sound and clutched my head closer to her, drawing more of her breast into my mouth. I was definitely looking forward to a lifetime of finding out all the delightful noises I could cause Bella to make.

As that nipple became very hard due to my sucking and lapping, I moved over her to make the same thing happen to her other neglected nipple. I didn't leave the first one alone, however – I continued to roll it between my thumb and forefinger. Bella was clearly thrilled as she was running her fingers through my hair and moaning my name.

I left my beautiful wife for one moment as I divested myself of my union suit and then was back under the covers with her. "Bella," I said, "look at me. Touch my chest, love. I want to feel your hands on me."

She tentatively reached out with her hands and ran them down the back of my neck, over my shoulders and then down my chest. She stopped before she got too far under the covers. "Please do it again, love," I asked gently, and she did. I closed my eyes and reveled in the sensation. Her hands running over my body felt so good. I could feel exactly how much she loved me through her touch and it was almost more than I could take.

I asked her to remove her nightgown. I wasn't much help as I continued to suck, lap and fondle her nipples while she was doing that. I just wanted more of this beautiful woman who waited for me just as I'd waited for her.

Once she was naked I drew back the covers as it was getting entirely too warm in the room for me and I was certain it would be for Bella as well and my hands continued to roam down her body. I felt the backs of her knees, where I found she was ticklish, but didn't spend too much time there. My hand came back up to the apex of her thighs where there was a beautiful patch of brown curly hair.

"Edward," Bella groaned and made a move to cover herself.

"No, love, I want to see you," I said and kissed her again with fiery passion. Then I dipped my finger inside her womanly folds. She was wet with desire. I wanted to make her wetter still.

"Oh!" Bella gasped involuntarily.

"I know, love. Just wait – it will get even better and more intense. Just lie back and relax. I love you and won't hurt you," I said soothingly.

My finger slid up and down in her wet slit, doing just what I'd set out to do – make her even wetter. Bella began writhing underneath me.

"Edward!" she groaned. This was definitely a side of Bella I'd never seen and I'd love to make her like this more often – every night of our married life, if possible. I was already craving how she was responding to my touches.

"It's all right. Just hold onto me and let yourself go. I'm going to keep caressing you just like this. I want you to ride out this incredible feeling you're having. I'm right here for you, love."

My fingers were sliding around her swollen clit and she was bucking her body against my hand. And then she was gripping onto my arms like there was no tomorrow and moaning my name over and over again. I soothed her and suckled her nipples into my mouth again.

As she came down from her orgasm with great breaths, she forcibly brought my face up to hers and kissed me deeply. _Oh Bella, what you do to me!_ "What was that?" she asked.

"That, my sweet wife, was an orgasm. Did you find it satisfactory?" I returned.

She kissed me again with the passion of a thousand suns. "Yes! It was more than satisfactory – it was the best feeling in the world!" She ducked her head, blushed, and then asked, "Can you make it happen again?"

"Of course, love," I said, as I dipped my head to her breasts once again and my fingers to her already-wet slit. She opened her thighs even wider than they'd been before, much to my delight. It would be my pleasure to provide my lovely wife with as many orgasms as she desired.

When her second orgasm subsided, Bella was trembling a bit. "What is it?" I asked.

"I have this overwhelming need for you, Edward," she answered.

Truth be told, I had been turned on since the moment I'd brought Bella into this room a long while back, but I'd been trying to be a gentleman and not attack her. "And I desire you, my darling," I told her earnestly.

I kissed down her body from her neck to her thighs reverently and then settled myself in between her parted thighs. "This will hurt a bit, but I will endeavor not to make it hurt any more than necessary," I told her as I guided my throbbing cock inside her wetness.

I was a grown man and I had masturbated before – but this was infinitely so much better. Feeling Bella's wet heat enveloping my cock felt so good I nearly exploded at once. Before I pushed all the way inside her, I began kissing her passionately, capturing her mouth with mine so the cry she made when I fully sheathed myself inside her was caught in my mouth.

I stopped immediately so she could get used to the feeling. "Oh, Edward," Bella said breathlessly. I stroked her beautiful hair which was splayed out on the pillows and gazed into her eyes. When she had stretched enough to accommodate me, she continued, "Please, move inside me. I need you, Edward."

Her hands were gripping onto my arms and she was panting along with me. I could feel my own orgasm traveling through my veins like a fire that was out of control. I was finished much too soon, but took care of my bride afterward; kissing her and making sure she felt as good as could be expected. I knew she would be sore. I rolled off her and lay beside her, cradling her against me.

What I hadn't expected was the tiredness. "Bella, love," I explained, "that wiped me out. Do you mind if I just hold you and sleep for a bit?"

"No," she said and snuggled closer to me. At least she hadn't insisted on getting dressed in her nightgown again. The feel of her nakedness against mine felt good. I thought about asking her if she would mind sleeping naked next to me every night. And then sleep claimed me.

It seemed like I was asleep only a small amount of time, but already my cock was aching hard again.

I looked at my beautiful wife who was still nestled next to me, asleep. I wondered if she was up for another round. I could think of delightful ways to wake her up. I carefully removed my arm from underneath her head and lay her head back on the pillow. She was so beautiful – I could stare at her for hours, if she'd let me, but my cock had other ideas.

I started by sucking gently on her earlobe closest to me and then lightly kissing gently down her neck. I had raised myself up on my hands and knees and was hovering over her now. My head lowered to gently kiss one of those rose-tipped breasts and then the other. Then I sucked one of them into my mouth. I loved the feel of them hardening in my mouth as I flicked my tongue around them. Soon, Bella's hands were in my hair and she was whispering an "Ooooooo" sound.

I took my mouth away from the one nipple and started on the other. My hands were definitely involved in the action as well – keeping her nipples teased to hardened perfection. Bella's breasts would definitely be a distraction to me for the remainder of my days.

I left those beautiful breasts and kissed down her stomach to her thighs. I parted her creamy thighs with my head in between them. I wanted Bella to experience some other delights as well. "Edward, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Trust me, love," I said from my new position. Then I gently parted her womanly folds with my hands and stuck out my tongue and licked up the entire length of it. Bella gasped with delight and I placed my arms around her thighs to hold her closer to me as I licked and sucked her clit and tasted her juices. She tasted heavenly!

If I thought she bucked against my hand before when I had fingered her that was barely a scratch on the surface to how her body was bucking against my face now. It was a good thing I had a firm grip on her thighs. I got a devious plan into my head since she was a school teacher, I would spell out the letters of the alphabet with my tongue against her clit. She was moaning – quite loudly, much to my surprise and excitement – and thrashing all over the bed when her orgasm arrived with glorious abandon.

"Oh, my heavens!" she exclaimed, as she pulled me up to kiss me and taste herself on my lips. "Edward darling, please tell me you're ready because I need you inside me again." _Your wish is my command, love._

I slid inside her much easier this time and enjoyed the feeling. From her moans and sighs of contentment, it sounded as if she enjoyed it as well and was no longer scared. I was glad to last much longer this time and Bella seemed content as well.

After covering us both up with the sheet and another nap, I woke up to find Bella's hands running over my sprinkling of chest hair. That would always be a welcome feeling to wake up to. I noticed it was now dark outside our windows. She whispered in my ear to ask if I was awake. I assured her I was. She wanted to know if she could make me feel good this round.

Her hands tentatively dipped underneath the sheet, sliding down my body. Her touch felt so good. She reached my hip bone and stopped. I smiled and kissed her to encourage her. Then her hands were on the move again – and finally, she was holding my cock in her hands.

I kissed her neck next to her earlobe and whispered, "Yes, love, that feels so good. Caress me with your hands. Stroke my cock. Feel how aroused you make me." Due to her expert touch, I soon came all over her hand. I found my union suit next to the bed and wiped up the evidence with it. Bella was fascinated by the entire process and I was amazed by my bride.

I held her close to me and we both fell into a deep sleep for the remainder of the night. When we woke up in the morning, my lovely bride was ready for a repeat performance and I was ready and willing to provide that for her. Then we needed to get ready for breakfast with all our parents before we made our way to our new home.


	5. For Twitardia

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but I'm grateful to Stephenie Meyer for her dream/vision.**

**This story doesn't actually go along with any song, it's a future one-shot from my fan fiction, "Seattle General." It's a gift for 17foreverlisa and tonguetwied for having my dear Dr. Edward Masen as their Sexiest Ward of the Month for their June 2011 issue of TwiPeople. Their cover shot actually inspired the scene with Lisa and KiTT in this story.**

**For Twitardia**

Edward POV

I grinned up at my lovely wife from my position between her thighs as she writhed against my mouth. We were alone in the house, our son leaving for school earlier and our daughter was at college. I was having a rare vacation from work and my plan was to keep Bella well-satisfied today. And right now, I loved that she was able to express herself verbally.

For some reason, my expert licking was bringing her to the brink, but not pushing her over the edge into a sea of orgasmic bliss. I decided to change tactics. I placed an open-mouthed kiss against her wet slit and slid up on the bed beside her. She looked at me, crestfallen. I wiggled my eyebrows at her suggestively, patted my chest, and said, "I want you up here, baby." She moved so quickly, it was almost a blur.

As I set to licking her wetness again and looked at her teasing her own nipples to hardened peaks with her head thrown back, moaning, I thought about the first time I attempted to get her to sit on my face. She was so shy. Now it had become one of her favorite things. Score one point for that Masen charm.

And suddenly she was falling over the edge of reason. I moved her down my body gently to set her on my very erect cock, which she slid onto gratefully. "Oh, Edward, that feels so fucking good," she breathed into my mouth between kisses. Did I mention my beautiful wife giving me any kind of dirty talk turns me on even more? I was thrusting into her like crazy and she was meeting every one. When I came, it felt like every bit of energy was leaving me. I'd need a rest before I was ready for round two.

I was just drifting off to sleep with my beautiful Bella in my arms when my pager rang. Really? Fuck my life. It's my vacation – can't they leave me alone?

"Hello?" I answered, warily.

Mrs. Cope was very efficient in her reply. "Good morning, Dr. Masen. There's been a multi-car accident at the airport involving several rental car shuttles and taxis with multiple injuries. Would you be able to come in to assist?"

"Yes. Let me grab a shower and I'll be right there," I said.

I quickly let Bella know what was going on and told her I needed to go into the hospital for a few hours at least. I was in and out of the shower in ten minutes and then dressed in scrubs within another five.

"Don't forget," she reminded me as she kissed me on the way out the door, "later we're on our way to Forks. I'm meeting up with some of my Twitter friends and we're spending a long weekend there."

I grinned at her as I swatted her ass gently for good measure. "No baby, I haven't forgotten."

As I drove to the hospital, I thought about our upcoming Forks trip. Emmett was staying with Jasper and Alice. Bella had been tweeting with some friends online during the day and in the evening because of some book series she read and loved – _Twilight_ – whatever that was about. She tried to explain it to me, but once she got to the romance part, I usually just tried to lure her into bed and finished with my own version of romance. I was still a romantic guy – I took her out to dinner, brought her flowers and jewelry, rubbed her back or her feet, ran her relaxing baths, sometimes cooked dinner, watched my share of chick flicks, and told her I loved her at every opportunity.

When I arrived at the hospital, the Emergency Room was chaotic. People were everywhere – staff, patients, police, friends and family, bystanders. I called Mrs. Cope to let her know I arrived and then reported to the nurse's desk to see where I could be the most effective.

To say my first several patients were exhausting was an understatement. First was an elderly couple, one of which had a broken arm and the other had a small head wound. The next was a small child with several bruises; it looked like she'd been tossed around one of the airport shuttles pretty good. Her mother kept threatening to sue everyone in sight. I was glad to report the daughter would be fine after time healed her bruises – they were nothing serious. The mother – I couldn't do anything about her attitude. "Asshat," I said under my breath after the door to their room closed and I went onto the next.

My next patient was a young man who proceeded to cover my scrub top in blood from his forearm cut. I appreciate your injury, but do you have to rub it on me? That's just nasty! I sewed his arm up, provided a prescription for painkillers, and discharged him. Go rub your arm on someone else, weirdo!

I had to stop and change my scrubs. Any future patient wouldn't be able to deal with my mid-section covered in blood. It was definitely going in a red bag for hazardous materials.

I picked up a new scrub top from the shelf in the hallway, and then ducked into an empty exam room to strip off the old one and replace it. I set the new top on the counter by the sink and stripped off the old one, dropping it immediately into the red bag waste container in the room. Then I heard someone's quiet "whoosh" of breath come out of their mouth and another quietly say "wow." I whirled around and was faced with two nice-looking ladies, one sitting on the exam table and one sitting in the chair beside the table.

I don't normally get embarrassed, but I could swear I was blushing a bit and smiling. _Holy hell! Were they ogling me? Well, probably, you dumb ass, you're standing here with no shirt on!_

I found my tongue as well as my new scrub top. I put on the scrub top as I said, "I apologize, ladies. I didn't realize anyone was in this room. Have you already been seen?"

The blonde lady sitting on the exam table replied, "No. We've been waiting…a while." Then they both looked at each other and laughed a bit like they had some kind of private joke going on.

I looked to the redhead seated on the chair and said, "You are not injured?"

"No," she said. "Just my friend, Lisa, injured her foot when our airport shuttle got into the big accident." She pointed to her companion on the exam table.

I moved over to shake their hands. "Good late morning! I'm Dr. Edward Masen." I looked at the blonde on the exam table and asked, "You are Lisa?" At her smiling nod, I grinned and turned to her friend, "And you are?"

"KiTT," the redhead replied.

"Nice to meet you both. Let's see what we can do to get you out of here and on your way. You probably weren't coming to Washington to see Seattle General Hospital."

I assessed Lisa and determined she needed an x-ray on her foot due to the pain she was having. I wanted to make sure she didn't have any fractures in any of the bones.

As we waited for the x-ray technician, I asked, "So, what brings you ladies to Seattle? The Space Needle? Family?"

Lisa spoke up, "We are actually on our way to Forks for a Twilight Twitter gathering." At my shocked look, she continued, "I know, you probably think we're crazy."

I replied, rubbing the back of my neck with my hand, "Um, actually no. My wife is dragging me to the same."

"What?" they both replied at the same time. Then it seemed they wanted all kinds of details. "What is her Twitter name?"

"It is BellaLuvsSeattle, I believe."

KiTT said, "Oh, we just love her! She is so sweet. She sends some of us cards every month with Rob's picture on them in some way. She makes the most beautiful scrapbook pages. She also tweets lovely Rob porn."

Shocked, I said, "My wife is tweeting porn?"

Lisa explained, "Not porn in the sexual sense – just nice pictures of Robert Pattinson. We Twitter girls call it Rob porn."

I let out a relaxed breath, thankful my wife wasn't tweeting pictures of pornography. Although, I could give her some ideas... Thankfully, that train of thought was interrupted when the x-ray technician showed up to take Lisa for her x-ray.

After Lisa left the room, I said to KiTT, "Have you ladies had lunch?"

"No," she said, "it was quite a long flight for both of us. We were going to eat when we got on the road to Forks, but that was interrupted."

"Let me check on the patient load at the moment. We could run over to the diner across the street and pick up something for Lisa as well. They have great food!" I enthused.

She agreed. I was out of the room in a moment and back at the nurse's desk. It seemed the place had calmed down a lot. There was definitely time for me to get some lunch.

I went back to the exam room and retrieved KiTT. We walked across the street to the diner.

As she was looking over the menu, I said, "I've been such a fool!"

"Why is that?" she asked, curious.

"Oh, I just go barging in an exam room, stripping off my clothes left, right and center, without checking to see if it's occupied. Please forgive me," I said.

She smiled brightly, "Oh, it's okay. We didn't mind at all."

We got our lunches to go and were back in the exam room just as Lisa was coming back from x-ray. I decided to leave the ladies to eat in peace while I checked in with Mrs. Cope and waited for the x-ray results.

Lisa had a hairline fracture in the bone of her foot, so I put her in a walking cast. I asked her to take it easy this weekend, even though I knew she was going to want to explore Forks. Thankfully, it wasn't a large town. I sent them on their way, letting them know I'd see them later.

As Bella and I drove to Forks later that day, I told her about meeting up with Lisa and KiTT.

"17foreverlisa and Tonguetwied?" she practically screamed.

"Baby, you know I don't know a thing about Twitter. I didn't ask them their Twitter names," I replied.

She was on her cell phone in a flash and scrolled through her Twitter feed. Then she was practically pouting. "They both said they met you today and that you were wonderful! You met them before I did," she said.

"Love, I didn't meet them on purpose! Lisa was my patient and KiTT was her friend. And, if you don't stop that pouting, I'll stop at this rest area by Lake Crescent and wipe that right off your face," I finished, leering at her.

She just giggled and we continued on our way. We checked into the La Push Ocean Park Resort and got settled. She had a small box in her suitcase from Victoria's Secret. I wanted to know what was inside. "That's for later – if you're good," she said.

"Baby, you know I can be very good," I swept her into my arms and kissed her fiercely.

"I know, Handsome," she replied, a bit breathless, "but I want to go meet my Twitter peeps."

The first event for this gathering was dinner and the first _Twilight_ movie, which I still hadn't seen, surprisingly enough. Bella made us nametags, hers had her first name and Twitter name and mine had my first name, her Twitter name with "hubby" underneath. Nice touch, I thought.

As soon as we arrived at the event location, I became Bella's official photographer. There were probably 150 women here – apparently all for the love of _Twilight_ and this British actor, Robert Pattinson. Bella wanted pictures with everyone she could reach – 17foreverlisa, Tonguetwied, MamaCougar, StarlitViolets, MusingBella, ADayWithJake, TwiredJen, TwiloveSue, LivingWithEdward, SnarkierThanYou, JennyJerkface, LatchkeyWife, AmandaKMelby, Jaymes805, AllTwiedUp, RottyMama, MrsP, Dangrdafne, TwiKiwi50, TwiLin, AGirlintheSouth, Laxplays, SloppyScnds, Laury4Rob, MrsKassieCullen, JustKristin1, LuvsMeSumEdward, DebbieCDC, DoubleDippin, RedBella, MyAfterCar, LindseyRae114, and LCM174EV.

Finally, Bella was in her element with her "peeps" and I was able to go grab a beer at the bar before dinner. There I found a familiar face – Jacob!

"Jake!" I said, clapping him on the back. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh man," he said, "Nessa is so sucked into this _Twilight_ stuff, it's crazy. Dad is watching the kids this weekend, so here we are."

We toasted each other's beers and watched the pandemonium surrounding us. Finally they settled down enough to have their spaghetti dinner.

There's nothing like watching a movie with 150 women making catcalls at the screen. That is some funny shit. Then I noticed I started getting sidelong glances – women looking at me, like they were comparing me to that actor playing "Edward Cullen" on the screen. No way – I could never be that guy. First off, he was playing a vampire! But then again, my mind mused, if Bella was really into this…

After much more conversation between Bella, Nessa, and all their Twitter friends with Jake and me staying on the sidelines, it was near 1 a.m. and time to rest up for the next day's events. Before we left, I received hugs from Lisa and KiTT. I think some of the other ladies were a bit jealous, but I just rolled my eyes. I'm just a regular guy.

Back at the motel, I took the opportunity to sneak away and get some ice. Mrs. Masen wasn't done with _her_ events of the night. When I got back to the room, the bathroom door was closed, so I decided to get comfortable in the bed and wait for my lovely wife.

When she came out of the bathroom, she was dressed in a pink and black striped bra and panty set. The panties had little ribbon bows holding them together on the sides. Oh, those weren't going to last long at all.

She raised one of her brows at me and asked, "Dr. Masen, why are you in bed already?"

"Oh Isabella," I said as I swiftly got out of bed and came to stand beside her. "Get on the bed on your hands and knees."

She scrambled to do so and her beautiful ass was met with a resounding slap from my open hand. Normally, I would get her naked as soon as possible when she called me "Dr. Masen" because I wanted to be inside her quickly, but tonight I wanted to torture her a bit.

I spanked her a bit more, leaving her moaning on the bed. Then I reached for the ice bucket. I took two of the ice cubes out of the bucket. I held them in my hand as I walked around the bed and yanked Bella's one bra cup down. Then I took the ice and circled one of the cubes around her nipple. She hissed with shock and pleasure. I slid the cup back up with the ice cube remaining at her nipple. Then I did the same to her other nipple.

I moved back to the end of the bed, swatting her ass again before untying those ribbon bows. With her panties gone, I stuck two long fingers inside her. She was slick, wet and ready. My other hand grabbed another ice cube from the bucket and I slid that inside her wetness. She moaned with pleasure. "You love this, don't you, baby?" I asked.

"Yes, Dr. Masen," she panted.

"Mmmm, good, because now I'm going to fuck you with that ice inside you. Would you like that?"

"Yes," she affirmed.

I got behind her on the bed and slammed her down onto my cock. The sensation of her hot slit and that cold ice was exhilarating to say the least. It made me impossibly harder. I roughly shoved her bra cups out of the way so my hands could have free access to her breasts. Her nipples were cold, but they were quickly warming up again.

One of my hands snaked down to her clit to rub her where I knew she liked it best as my other hand continued its teasing of her nipples, pinching and pulling them, lengthening them in my fingers. I was kissing her neck and then thought about how much she liked this vampire love story. So I bit her where her neck and shoulder met – not hard enough to cause a bruise, but hard enough for her to know what I was doing.

"Ouch," she said, momentarily taken aback.

"Sorry, baby," I apologized immediately. I continued my actions from before and she and I came together.

As we lay together naked afterward, Bella asked, "Why did you bite me, Handsome?"

"Baby, I thought this whole vampire love story turned you on, so I was trying to add it to our lovemaking," I responded.

She reached up to stroke my face and looked me in the eye. "I don't need that. You turn me on plenty, just being yourself and that wicked 'Dr. Masen.' I get the best of both worlds."

I squeezed her ass that was firmly in my hand already and said, "I'm glad, baby. I love you more than anything."

"And I love you," she said sleepily as her head and one hand lay on their favorite places on my chest and we drifted off to sleep.

**Author's Notes:**

**Bella's Twitter name is fictitious. If someone actually has that name, it's not me nor anyone related to "Seattle General."**


	6. Enchanted

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but I'm grateful to Stephenie Meyer for her dream/vision.**

Isabella POV

It was a time of kings and queens. My job was to serve in the castle of King Jasper and Queen Alice. I was a lady's maid to Queen Alice. She had several maids and we assisted her with various tasks throughout the day, spending time with her as we did so. She enjoyed our company and was glad she had someone to spend time with while her husband was conducting important royal business during the day.

I was Queen Alice's closest confidant and normally assisted her when she wanted to make their marriage bed festive and herself especially beautiful and alluring. I don't know why she chose me to assist. I blushed scarlet the entire time I was helping. I had never been with a man. I don't even think a man had inclined his head in my direction. If he had, I would've blushed profusely and ran for cover.

"Lady Isabella," Queen Alice would gently remind me, "one day a very fine gentleman will catch your eye and you will need to know how to do these things for yourself."

As surely as the sundial told the hour of day outside, I blushed yet again and replied, "Yes, my queen."

Queen Alice sat down unceremoniously on one side of the bed with her eyes sparkling and said, "The king tells me King Carlisle will be coming from Camelot in a fortnight's time. He will be bringing his only son, who is just a few years older than you. King Carlisle is hoping Prince Edward will marry someone from our kingdom to continue the peace between our two kingdoms for years to come!"

"Yes, my queen. Are there additional things you would like me to attend to in preparation of their visit?" I asked.

Queen Alice lightly slapped me on the arm and grinned as I was massaging her feet. "No, silly goose! I want you to be the one to catch Prince Edward's eye."

I was grateful there were only a few candles burning in the bedchamber now. My blush wouldn't be as obvious. "I don't know, Queen Alice. I suspect Lady Jessica will be the one to catch his eye. She's much more verbose about marriage and is much more beautiful."

"Oh pish posh," returned my beautiful queen. "Unpin my hair. I'd much rather Prince Edward set his sights on you. You're a darling and not given to stamping your foot every time something doesn't go your way." I did as she bid and helped her undress for bed.

During the next two weeks, the castle was cleaned from top to bottom and all the lady's maids were given strict instructions to be as unobtrusive as possible to the visiting royal family unless specifically called upon – to "not be a nuisance" as Queen Alice termed it. I suspected this was for Lady Jessica's benefit as I could imagine her fluttering around Prince Edward, although I had no idea what he looked like.

The first time I would see King Carlisle and his family would be at a banquet held in their honor on the evening of their arrival. Normally when serving at an important event, all of Queen Alice's lady's maids would be dressed in light blue serving gowns with simple beading around the neckline and cuffs.

As I was dressing, I was summoned to Queen Alice's personal chamber. I finished dressing quickly and hurried there. When I arrived, she pulled me inside and said, "Isabella, I have a dress for you."

"But, my queen, I'll be serving you. I have on my serving gown," I responded immediately and gestured down at my attire.

She winked at me and said, "I have met Prince Edward and you will wear this!" She pointed to a gown she had laid out on the bed. It was a beautiful emerald green gown she had worn previously with detailed gold stitching sewn into the neckline and cuffs. It was one of Queen Alice's more simple gowns, but so much fancier than anything I'd been given to wear. I gasped.

"Certainly not!" I disagreed.

"King Jasper thinks it's a fine idea," she said as she began pulling my blue serving gown up over my head and tossed it unceremoniously onto the floor. Once the green gown had settled over me, it was a bit form-fitting as my queen was a bit smaller in frame than I was. She stepped back, appraising me, "Oh, this will do fine. Look how fetching your breasts look in this."

I barely looked down. I felt I looked almost scandalous. She dragged me over to the full-length looking glass and made me look at both of us in the reflection. I didn't look as bad as I thought I did.

Before I knew it, I was out serving at the banquet for our guests, providing meats, cheeses, several different fruits and copious amounts of wine. Most of the other servers didn't give me a second glance, as our king and queen were known for being very generous to their servants. The only one barely containing her hostility was Lady Jessica. I stopped looking in her direction after her second huff of disgust.

Most of the people attending these banquets were full of forced laughter and fake smiles, the same as me. We were all trying to make a good impression on the visiting royalty. There was an air of insincerity within the palace walls – not from our king and queen nor the visiting royalty, but some of the invited guests – as I'm certain are most likely true of any royal banquet. But all those feelings vanished when I saw the face of Prince Edward.

His strong chiseled jaw must've been carved by the gods themselves as were his cheekbones. His dancing, laughing eyes were beautiful and drew me in like a magnet. His brown and blonde mixed hair was chaotic above his face, like he'd attempted to take a comb to it, but had just given up and used his fingers to attempt to tame it instead. The royal blue velvet tunic he wore complemented his skin perfectly along with the dark grey breeches. He wore a gold cross medal on his chest that had a beautiful ruby inset in the middle of it.

I watched him across the room as he lifted a small square of cheese to his mouth with his long fingers as his eyes seemed to whisper, "Have we met?"

I needed to shake myself out of this state. What was happening to me? The visiting royal family needed more wine if they were indulging in our famous cheeses. I picked up a pewter pitcher full of some of our best wine from a table along the side of the large banquet room and made my way over to them.

Queen Alice was sitting right next to Prince Edward. As I came to stand next to her with my pitcher full of wine, she said, "Prince Edward of Camelot, I'd like to present Lady Isabella."

Prince Edward unfolded his long legs from the generous pillows he was sitting on and stood up immediately.

He grasped my hand gently in those long fingers and bent at the waist to kiss my fingers. "Lady Isabella, I am enchanted to meet you," he said softly.

"And I, you," I replied as he looked into my eyes. I could see they were a beautiful emerald green_. No wonder Queen Alice wanted me to wear this dress. Of course it would catch his eye! They were the exact same shade._ I was glad I had a firm grip on the pitcher in my other hand or I'm certain I would've dropped it by this point. I curtsied in deference to his regal position.

"Your Queen has told me much about you," Prince Edward was saying, as he brought me out of my musing. As if on cue, I could feel the blush begin on my cheeks. He brought a gentle finger to my right cheek and said, "You have a beautiful blush, Lady Isabella."

"Thank you," I murmured. "More wine?" I had to get out of here – away from his touch. It was simply maddening. I wanted more. No man had ever affected me this way.

After pouring the required wine, I stepped outside for a bit. The cool breeze was a balm to my hot cheeks. Once I felt composed enough to go back inside, I did so. Every time I looked in Prince Edward's direction, he caught my eye and winked or smiled. It was like he wanted to pass notes with me in secrecy. I couldn't resist smiling back. I willed myself over and over to stop blushing. At times, that worked; other times, it did not.

Once the banquet was over and the king and queen's bedchamber was ready for the evening, I was free to go back to my chambers and re-live the evening. It was late and my feet were sore. I found I was too keyed up to go to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, I wrapped a robe around my bedclothes and rose from the bed.

The cool marble floor of the palace felt good on the soles of my feet as I crept out of my bedchamber into the hallway beyond to a small balcony overlooking the garden. There was a full moon tonight and several fireflies were buzzing around the garden. It was almost like the entire evening was sparkling – first with Prince Edward and now with the garden ablaze with the fireflies.

I wondered who Prince Edward loved – if he had someone back in Camelot waiting to marry him. I was certain he did, even though Queen Alice had told me his father wanted him to marry someone from our kingdom. He was very handsome. As I stood with my arms resting on the stone balcony railing and my mind and heart going a million directions at once, I heard a noise behind me. I whirled around to face whoever was intruding on my late-night thoughts.

Prince Edward said, "Lady Isabella, I'm sorry if I startled you. I didn't mean to. I didn't expect to find anyone here at this time of night."

"No, it's all right. I will go so you can enjoy the full moon and the fireflies in the garden," I said.

He reached out a hand to rest it on my arm. "Please don't go," he said. "I'd like to enjoy it with you."

I turned to face the garden once again. I thought he would stand beside me. Prince Edward was far bolder. He stood behind me and wrapped his arms around me. "You should be dressed warmer. You'll get a chill out here."

I said nothing. Who was I to disagree with royalty? I didn't normally disagree with Queen Alice – only when she wanted me to wear that green gown. Now look where that had gotten me!

"Lady Isabella, my father wants me to marry. Since you first captured my attention this evening, I wanted to get to know you better. Even if you hadn't been dressed in that emerald green gown, I would've taken notice of you," Prince Edward said.

"Me?" I squeaked.

"Of course, you, Lady Isabella." He chuckled briefly and drew his hand gently through my long chocolate brown hair, drawing it away from my neck. "But I don't know if I've captured your attention as well," he whispered in my ear as his lips descended and he kissed my neck gently.

I turned around in his arms to face him and looked up at his handsome face.

"I wouldn't ask you to marry me right away. Come back with me and my family to Camelot and see if you can learn to love someone like me. If it's not possible and we find we're not compatible, I'll have you returned to King Jasper and Queen Alice immediately," he said earnestly.

So it was decided. Within two days, I left with the visiting royals and journeyed with them to Camelot. Prince Edward showed me all the sights along the way and filled me in on happenings within their kingdom walls. I was able to know his parents better along the way as well. They were both lovely people and I grew to care about them very much.

I spent my days in Camelot with Edward. We found we had many things in common such as the plight of the poor and a genuine love for all types of animals and laughed about so many things together. He stole a few kisses while we were out riding horses or sometimes within the palace walls. I must confess – he didn't really steal them – I gave them willingly.

Prince Edward would surprise me each morning with a different flower he'd chosen for me from their prolific gardens. He would indulge my love of reading – although he did play with my hair then which was very distracting. He was very romantic and loving. If he needed to work on military strategy with his father during the day, he would always send a personal note with a messenger, telling me how he longed to be with me instead. Then when we were together once again, he would always sweep me up into his arms and kiss me passionately. I could never doubt Prince Edward's love and devotion.

One rainy afternoon, I was feeling melancholy as I hadn't been able to see my parents since I'd come to Camelot. Once Prince Edward determined the cause behind my mood, he sent a carriage out in the pouring rain to retrieve my parents and bring them to Camelot to be with me. They arrived with their belongings and scrolls of good wishes from King Jasper and Queen Alice. My father took on the role of assisting King Carlisle and Prince Edward in Camelot with enacting new laws in the kingdom.

A couple of days later, Prince Edward caught me in an unoccupied hallway and pressed the full length of his body up against mine. "Lady Isabella, I see you're wearing that fetching green gown again. You know it makes me wild with desire for you." Then his lips were on mine – more urgent and demanding than before. "Please say you'll marry me."

Once I captured my breath, I answered, "Yes, Prince Edward. Always yes."

Our wedding day was bright and beautiful. Lady Angela, in addition to my mother, helped me to get ready. The entire day was like something out of a fairytale. At the end, I was to be addressed as Princess Isabella. It was going to be a lot for me to get used to.

As Prince Edward led me into our shared bedchamber, I was nervous as I was certain every bride since the beginning of time had been. "Princess Isabella, you were extraordinarily beautiful today. I have waited so long to claim you as my own," he said as his arms went around my waist and his lips claimed mine. Then his lips trailed down my neck and I was lost to the wonderful sensations my body was feeling.

_Epilogue – 10 years later_

Prince Edward and I were so very happy. Our love increased more every day. We were now the parents of three beautiful children – one son and two daughters. They all adored their daddy and both sets of grandparents. As a couple, we were well on our way to eradicating the poor in Camelot by providing jobs for people.

My desire for Prince Edward never waned, nor did his for me. And so, we lived happily ever after.

**Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed!**


	7. You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This

You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This

Edward POV

I've been a lawyer since the moment I graduated with honors from Harvard Law School, working at my dad's law firm. Carlisle Cullen was one happy SOB the day he could add me to the payroll and my name to the letterhead. I had yet to actually represent a case on my own yet, but that didn't matter to him. He could barely keep the grin off his face. Since that day – five years ago – I've represented dozens of clients through Cullen, Inc. and came away with about a 90 percent success rate. Every case was not able to be won, although I did try like hell.

Now that dad was happy, I had to contend with my beautiful mother. She wanted me to be happy in my personal life as well. Even though I'd told her time and again my life didn't lend itself to beginning a traditional relationship, she kept after me.

I dragged my hand through my messy hair in frustration as I sat on my parents' cream-colored leather couch in the living room of their Seattle, Washington, home. In my other hand, I held my mother's newest scheme to help me "find a nice woman." I looked around the room that was artfully decorated in various shades of blue and white with a subtle ocean theme. "Mom," I began to prepare my case carefully, "I don't have the time to go to a dance studio on Tuesday evenings at 7. I'm normally still working then."

My mother, Esme, walked up behind the couch and kissed me on top of the head like she used to when I was a little boy. "Of course you do, dear," she said with a smile. "I've talked to your father and he is agreeable to you leaving early on Tuesday's. Everything is all set. Besides, I remember teaching you to dance as a young boy. You'll pick it back up again in no time."

Just as if he knew we were talking about him, my father walked through the front door. "You knew about this?" I asked in an accusing tone, waving the advertisement in his general direction.

He chuckled. "Of course, son. I can't bear to hear your mother go on any longer about how she wants grandbabies. In fact," he paused for dramatic effect, "some of those might be nice around here." He stopped to kiss and hug his wife as I rolled my eyes.

My weekly dinner at my parents' house was its normal affair – talk of various cases in the office, where my parents were vacationing this year, an upcoming office party. Thankfully, I didn't have to think about dance studios until I was getting into my silver Audi to leave for the night. Mom hugged me, as I put my arms around her as well, and she said, "Sweetie, please think about the dance studio. It might be a nice outlet for you."

"I will, Mom. I love you," I replied. As I drove back to my spacious condominium, I thought about my mom teaching me to dance when I was around twelve years old. We were having a great time; Mom teaching me all sorts of dances, until that creep, Mike Newton from down the street, had come by and laughed hysterically at my lessons. I never wanted to dance again; I was totally humiliated. Last I heard he had moved back to Forks to work in his parents' outdoor store. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Inside my condo, I set about making things ready for the night. My condo was decorated in various blue tones with wood accents. It appeared as though a decorator had just stepped away for a moment into the next condo. This was my mom's doing; she had her own decorating business. I was glad she cared about her only child enough to decorate his refuge from the world.

The next morning – Friday, I was up early. I decided to walk from our office to the Starbucks down the street and surprise my assistant by getting _her_ chai tea this morning instead of her doing that for me as was the normal routine.

Starbucks is always a bustling place, especially this time of day. I placed my order, then stood off to the side, waiting for the tea to be made. While I was waiting, the woman completing the drink orders caught my eye. How could she not? She was an absolute vision of loveliness. Her rich brown mahogany hair was pulled back into an efficient ponytail that swung as she worked. Her creamy flawless skin held a beautiful heart-shaped face. Her chocolate brown eyes were very expressive as they made contact with each customer, notifying them their order was ready. As she said my name and I went to pick up the two cups of tea I ordered, our eyes met and I stood there staring into her gorgeous eyes like an idiot. She was about to move on to the next customer when she said, "Sir, did you need anything else?"

"Um, no. No, thank you," I replied. I mentally kicked myself in the ass all the way back to the office. There was a beautiful woman right in front of me and I couldn't even work up the nerve to say anything to her. What the hell was wrong with me? Normally I had no problem talking to women – clients, coworkers – but they were not available to me. Once I found a woman who was seemingly unattached and beautiful, I became incapable of speaking. I was one of this city's best lawyers and I suddenly become a verbal mute? Maybe I could get Angela, my assistant, to slap me upside the head. She might even enjoy it.

It was time to call the dance studio. If you danced with someone, you eventually had to talk to them, I reasoned. I took the advertisement out of my briefcase, looked it over briefly, and dialed the number. Miss Irina, the instructor, assured me she would love to have me join her Tuesday class. She was always looking for more single men to join. It was done. I'd be joining the next class.

XxX

Upon walking into the dance studio, I found it was not as intimidating as I had made it seem in my mind. There were some couples already dancing. Miss Irina, an older woman of European descent, found me easily enough – she must've figured I was the new student.

As I danced with Miss Irina, she determined I was a capable partner. I told her my mother taught me some dances when I was younger. After I guided her into a spin and she returned to me, her attention was diverted to something near the door. "Ah, Isabella! It's so good of you to come," she said to the new arrival. "Edward," she said to me, "I believe I have the perfect dance partner for you."

As Miss Irina went to greet Isabella, I turned to see who this woman was. I know I stopped breathing. _It was the woman from Starbucks!_ Was there a paper bag around anywhere I could breathe into? Maybe I could sit down in one of the chairs around the perimeter of the room and put my head between my knees so I could regain my equilibrium.

Soon, Miss Irina was introducing us to each other and then we were dancing to the music currently on the stereo. Bella, as she asked me to call her, felt completely at home in my arms. She felt natural and right there. Of course I'd dated before, but with those women, it all seemed very stiff and formal. I found myself wishing I was a little closer to Bella's height – if I was able to discreetly sniff behind her ear, I had no doubt her perfume would be akin to apple pie or some other home-like scent. She was indeed the perfect dance partner for me.

After class, we all went out as a group to a diner down the street for dessert. Bella obviously knew Miss Irina and this group of dancing students as I was treated to her wicked sense of humor. I wanted to get to know her better.

And so it continued – every weekday, I was up early to retrieve the Starbucks order just so I could get a glimpse of Bella. I knew she was going to think I was a stalker. But she always seemed to have a ready smile for me and something akin to "Have a good day, Edward," to which I stupidly replied, "You too." Why couldn't I be eloquent with her?

One Tuesday evening about three months into my classes, Miss Irina announced there was a dance competition coming up in town. She would be surveying all her classes to see which dancers she would admit to the competition. If dance partners felt they wanted to be included, they would need to come up with a routine and show it to Miss Irina.

I felt Bella looking at me. "What?" I asked.

"Eddie, you've simply got to loosen up if we're going to do this. I don't know if we can win, but I'd like to enter the competition if you're up for it. But we'll need a lot of practice," Bella said.

_She called me Eddie? No one ever calls me Eddie! _ "OK. How about if you come to my house on Saturday and we can practice?" I questioned.

"That's perfect," she agreed. I gave her the directions. I couldn't wait for Saturday to arrive!

XxX

When Bella arrived on Saturday, she was dressed as normal – in jeans, a t-shirt, and a hoodie. She was smiling as soon as I opened the door. She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the living room. "You do have a DVD player, yes?" she asked.

She produced three DVD's – _Dirty Dancing_, _Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights_, and one of ballroom dancing. Confused, I said, "Are we going to watch movies or dance?"

"Eddie, I told you – loosen up! We're going to watch the dance routines in these two movies which will hardly take any time at all. Then we'll watch some of this ballroom dancing video to see what kind of routine we want to make," she replied.

I smiled and asked, "Who said you could call me 'Eddie'?"

She slapped my leg playfully and said, "Someone's gotta loosen up the stiff lawyer!" I captured her hand up in my own and gently kissed the back of it. She regarded me with her soft brown eyes but said nothing. I placed her hand back on the couch and went to place the first DVD into the player.

After watching Patrick Swayze gyrate his hips for several moments, I finally had to burst out laughing. Bella looked at me and asked, "What's so funny?"

"I don't know what makes you think I'm going to be doing that!" I fairly exploded in between guffaws. That was so _not_ my scene.

She folded her arms over her chest and said, "If you care about winning, you might." She continued to stare at the screen as the couple finished their dance routine.

_Uh oh…I'd made her mad._ I tentatively reached out for a lock of her hair that had escaped her ponytail and placed it behind her ear. "I'm sorry, Bella. I'll try to see things from your point of view."

The next movie's dance routine wasn't as bad for me – the guy didn't seem like a professional dancer so I didn't have as much to live up to. Then we watched a bit of the ballroom dancing video.

"So," Bella said as she pushed the "stop" button on the remote control, "are you ready to get started?" I agreed I was and we pushed back some of the furniture so we'd have room to move around.

By the time she and I were about halfway through our routine, I found I wanted to move against Bella exactly like Patrick Swayze had been doing with Jennifer Grey. She was helping me loosen up and I wanted to be closer to her in every way possible. I found Bella smiling up at me more and more as I pulled her closer. I may never be the dancer Mr. Swayze was, but I did love dancing with Bella.

We took a break for lunch and ordered pizza. I enjoyed getting to know more about her. Her father was the police chief in Forks and her mother had remarried and moved to Florida. She'd known Miss Irina for a few years – since she moved to Seattle – and Miss Irina let her attend the classes for free as there always seemed to be more men than women who needed dance partners. She worked at Starbucks in the morning and then at Bed, Bath and Beyond some afternoons. I told her about my life as well.

After lunch, we were back to work on our routine. Bella wanted to end it with a friendly kiss. I was all for that. I couldn't wait to kiss her. We practiced the kiss several times, but it was always over far too quickly for me. That is what we were – friends first and foremost – brought together by our mutual affection for Starbucks and dancing.

XxX

Soon enough, we were showing our routine to Miss Irina. She was pleased and thought it showed imagination. She was allowing us access to the competition! It would be held two weeks from Saturday. I would invite my parents.

I did that very thing when I had my weekly dinner at my parents' house as I told them about Bella and our routine in the upcoming competition.

XxX

The day of the dance competition was quickly upon us. Bella and I had practiced every spare moment when I wasn't working on a case at work. She'd become a good friend to me, teaching me how to laugh more – even at myself sometimes. I didn't want to lose her when this competition was over. I was nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof – probably because I hadn't seen Bella yet. She always seemed to calm me down. I was standing – leaning, actually – with my hand up against a painted cinderblock wall in this great hall as people were scurrying around me in all directions.

Suddenly, I felt a hand against my shoulder blade through my tuxedo. "Eddie, are you all right?" I sighed with relief – Bella.

I turned around and saw the most beautiful vision in front of me. In every class or practice we'd had, she'd worn jeans and a t-shirt. Now she was wearing an almost full-length proper deep blue ballroom gown with sparkles across the bodice. Her face was highlighted with far more makeup than I liked to see on her, but I knew it was necessary for the judges to be able to see her face. Her hair was done up into a loose chignon. "Bella," I choked out, "you are gorgeous!"

"What's the matter, Eddie? You don't like my t-shirt and jeans?" she asked as she pretended to pout.

"Ha!" I said as I put my arms around her and pulled her to me. "I much prefer your jeans and t-shirt. Let's get this over with so you can get back into those." She seemed to enjoy being in my embrace and stayed there for a moment before we pulled apart.

Finally, our division was called and we took the floor with other dancers – some from our class and others we'd never met. Then, I looked down at Bella and said, "Thank you for taking a chance on loosening up a stuffy lawyer, Bella."

She smiled and said, "You did need loosening up, Eddie. But you're not stuffy. You are handsome, though, especially in this tuxedo." She reached up to straighten my black tie.

_She thought I was handsome?_ I had no time to ponder this – even though I wanted to, in great detail – as the music started just then and I had to concentrate on the intricate steps we'd devised to our routine. Her eyes were shining and bright every moment as I looked upon her during our dance. We made it through with barely a hitch. Now just one more turn and we would be finished; then our kiss.

I immediately got a funny feeling when Bella's lips touched mine. This was not the friendly kiss we'd practiced several times. This kiss was full of electricity and a thousand different emotions. I think my heart actually skipped a beat. My mind was thinking a lot of crazy things in the span of a couple of moments.

"Bella," I whispered against her lips, "you shouldn't kiss me like this unless you mean it like _that._ If you do, I'll just close my eyes and I won't know where I'm at. We'll get lost on this dance floor and keep spinning around." I looked around slyly and then continued, "They're all watching us now. They think we're falling in love. They'd never believe we're just friends. When you kiss me like this, I think you mean it like _that._ If you do, baby, kiss me again." And within a mere second, her lips were on mine again, taking my breath away.

As the applause for our division finally died down and we were able to leave the floor, I held Bella close to me as I led her to a quiet place to talk.

"What changed?" I asked.

"Just spending time with you, Eddie. I realized I want more of you in my life – and not just as a friend. I hope you want the same," she replied.

"I can't imagine not spending every free moment without you," I clarified with another kiss on her beautiful lips.

We won second place in our division that day. I was anxious to take Bella home with me. I didn't want her to get away any time soon.

My parents wanted to take us to a celebratory dinner. During dinner, we discovered my mom and Bella actually knew each other from her second job and my mom's decorating business. That was all well and good, but right now, I just wanted to feel this entire amazing woman in my bed. Finally dinner was finished and we were free to go.

Later that evening, I carefully undressed Bella and kissed her repeatedly. "Are you sure you want this?" I asked.

"I've never wanted anything more," she affirmed.

I kissed and teased her as much as I could until she was begging me to be inside her. How could I refuse such a lovely lady's pleas? Being inside Bella was pure bliss. Feeling her legs wrapped around me, urging me deeper inside her was my undoing. I would never get enough of her.

As we lay together in the afterglow, I asked Bella what she was thinking. She rolled over onto her side so she could look me in the eyes. "I'm glad I insisted our dance routine included a kiss or you'd never know how I felt about you."

"Mmm," I said as I rolled over to face her and wrap my arms around her. "And how do you feel about me, Bella?"

"I love you, Edward," she said, never wavering on any syllable.

"And I love you, Bella," I affirmed, never wavering in my commitment either.

_Epilogue_

It's been five years since our dance competition. Bella and I were married at a wedding that included Starbucks at the reception (of course). She looked positively radiant as she walked down the aisle on her father's arm to become my wife on that sunny Seattle morning. We have a beautiful baby girl who looks just like her mother. We have another one on the way. Bella still works at Starbucks because she likes adult interaction. My mom takes care of our daughter in the mornings while Bella is working.

Bella stops by my office after her Starbucks shift is over. If I have some time, I give her my own version of "adult interaction." In fact, our children may have been conceived on the conference table in my office. But don't tell Angela. She adores Bella, but she'll kill me and never suggest another meeting around that table again.


	8. Postmarked With Love

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but I'm grateful to Stephenie Meyer for her dream/vision. While this is not an actual song, this is the story I wrote for the Secret Santa Fic Exchange 2012. It is _not_ rated M. I hope you enjoy!**

Edward shrugged into his coat at the end of his workday. He took his responsibilities as the postmaster of the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, post office seriously.

He also took every opportunity to see Bella Swan, the prettiest librarian in town, before she left her shift for the evening. If he hurried on the snowy streets, he may be able to scan the shelves quickly and get the reward of her ready smile and a few moments of conversation before she wrote his name on the checkout card.

Bella was well-read and knew a great deal about many subjects. As Edward sat reading by his cozy fire in the evenings, his mind would sometimes drift to having her sit in a chair opposite him, talking and enjoying each other's company.

Therein laid the problem; whenever he thought about asking Bella out, his tongue would become thick in his mouth and remain uncooperative. He wasn't certain if she already had a beau. Although, she never sat with a man at church nor did he ever see her accompanied by anyone around town.

Pushing open the library door, Edward saw Bella at the desk, assisting another patron. He went to the shelves to scan for a volume he hadn't read. He would have to move into the children's section soon to find something new to read if he didn't drum up the needed courage. He chose a favorite novel and moved toward the desk.

Bella looked up as he approached. "Hello Edward," she acknowledged with a bright smile.

"Good evening Bella. I trust you had a good day," Edward returned with his best crooked smile.

She replied, "I did. I hope you did as well. Is there anything newsworthy going on at the post office?"

"No. The mail is beginning to pick up for the holidays, however. People's hearts seem to turn toward family at this time of year."

Bella said wistfully, "I quite agree." She paused for a moment and continued, "You've already read this book once earlier in the year. Is there another you'd like to read?"

His mind screamed, _Ask her!,_ but he replied, "This one is fine. I like happy endings."

She smiled again secretly and bent to the task before her. Soon, the book was in his hand.

He stood near the entrance, preparing to brave the cold again. He noticed Bella was bundling up warmly.

She came alongside him near the door. Edward blurted out, "May…may I walk you somewhere?"

"That's very kind of you, Edward. I only live a few blocks over. I'll be all right," Bella said.

He stammered, "But…but it's dark out. I'd feel better if you had an escort. Please…" _What was wrong with me, he thought to himself?_ He'd spoken with her numerous times before at church, the library, and food and clothing campaigns for the less fortunate. Those were all situations with other people around; he felt more comfortable. Her heart was so pure. He didn't want to offend her.

"All right," she said shyly and placed her gloved hand in the crook of his bent arm.

Bella regaled him with funny stories of some notable library patrons of the week, as well as stories of children who had visited with their parents. She adored children as did he. As they continued three residential blocks, she apologized, "I didn't mean to be such a chatterbox. I find if I'm talking, I don't notice the cold so much."

"You can talk as much as you like," Edward said.

"Well, this is me," she said as her hand slipped from the warmth of his arm and gestured toward a large two-story house.

_She lived here – in drafty Mrs. Cope's Boarding House?_ This was all wrong. He'd always imagined she had a loving family surrounding her. He bid her good night and continued on his way home – in the opposite direction.

Edward's parents and younger sister, Alice, lived in Philadelphia. He had moved here when he secured a position with the postal service. He shivered involuntarily as he set a match to the fire he'd built this morning before leaving for work in the living room of his cozy stone cottage.

As he watched the flames lick the wood, he thought of his cottage in the spring and summer. Flowers were riotous around the yard and likely needed tended. There were two stately trees guarding the entrance that provided needed shade in the summer and copious colorful leaves in autumn. This was the type of home where Bella should be living – not that leaky boarding house.

A week passed, and with it came church, where Edward saw Bella. Once again she sat alone. As it was 1850, he knew it wasn't proper for a man to sit next to a woman in church unless they were engaged to be married or already married. He did sit in the same pew with two married couples between them.

On a random Tuesday, mail was delivered by train as normal. Thus began Edward's busiest time of the day. He had to sort out every piece of mail in the large bag and place it in the correct individual box for the intended recipient.

As it was, he placed several letters on his desk as he didn't recognize the recipient's name or wasn't able to read the handwriting on the envelope. These he would investigate as the day progressed when time allowed. Once the townspeople saw the mail had arrived, they were eager to see if any arrived for them. This particular day, there were advertisements and catalogs for some recipients as well as letters. It was a busy mail day.

It was nearing closing time when Edward was finally able to sit at his desk and review the letters he placed there earlier. After some deciphering, some were identifiable and he placed them in the correct mailboxes for townspeople to retrieve the following day.

The remaining letter, however, left him puzzled. It was postmarked Philadelphia 1830. The letter was 20 years old! It was addressed to Miss Renee Higginbotham. He'd never heard of the woman. He squinted to attempt to make out the return address. It appeared it read "Mr. Charles Swain" in Bethlehem. He'd never heard of a Swain family either.

However, since the writing wasn't that clear, it could possibly read "Swan." Was this person related to Bella? Perhaps she could solve the mystery!

He looked up at the clock on the wall. It was well past time for him to be leaving. He grabbed his coat and ran out the door, locking up quickly, letter in hand.

He needed to slow down. The temperature outdoors was positively arctic and with no coat; he was bound to freeze to death. He took the time to shove his arms in the sleeves and wrap a scarf around his neck. He then continued on his journey to the library.

As soon as he was in the door, he looked around for Bella. He didn't see her anywhere. He asked one of the other librarians and discovered she'd already left for home. The mystery would have to wait until the next day.

On Wednesday, Edward became an avid clock-watcher. He normally didn't practice that type of behavior, but he didn't want to miss his opportunity to speak to Bella.

He practically ran all the way to the library and arrived red-cheeked and out of breath. He stood just inside the door to catch his breath as Bella looked at him with some amount of alarm from the desk.

He didn't pause to scan the shelves, but went over to her as soon as he was breathing normally.

"What's wrong, Edward?" Bella asked, concern lacing her voice.

"I don't think anything is, but I'm hoping you could help me clear up a mystery," he said.

She smiled wryly and said, "I thought you'd read the novel you checked out previously and it had a happy ending."

His smile burst forth then and he replied, "Not with that. I received a letter at the post office and was hoping you may know one or both the recipients, although the letter is quite old."

He retrieved the letter from his pocket and placed it on the desk in front of her. Her eyes immediately filled with tears.

"Bella?" he asked softly as he kindly offered her a handkerchief.

She took the handkerchief as she took a few moments to compose herself.

She sniffed a bit and then said quietly, "This is a letter from my father to my mother. It must've been while they were courting. However, I can't understand why it's taken so long to arrive."

"I don't know the answer to that question, either," Edward replied.

"Thank you so much for bringing it to me. I can't wait to get to my room this evening to see what it says!" Bella said as she reached out and tentatively squeezed Edward's hand that was still atop the desk in front of her.

Later, in her boarding house room, Bella carefully opened the letter from her father. She missed her parents dearly. When they perished two years ago in a carriage accident, she thought her world had come to an end. She had to go on living, however, and find a way to support herself and a place to live as she was an only child. She'd been very fortunate to discover the position at the library. She disliked living at the boarding house, but what else was a single girl – on her way to becoming an old maid – to do? This was her lot in life and she'd learn to be content living out happily-ever-after's in books.

_My dearest Renee,_

_I have been away in Philadelphia far too long. I have longed to hold you in my arms once again. I will be home by the middle of next week. I know you have been conflicted about your choice of suitors. My absence has not helped with that. My love, I beg you, please do not consider Philip Dwyer. He will not make you happy. He plans to go to New York City to make a name for himself. I want to give you the world right where we are – and make our own family. I want to make our love grow by leaps and bounds. Please say you'll wait for me. I will love you forever._

_All my love, Charlie_

Tears pricked Bella's eyes as she read the letter again and blurred as she saw her father's handwriting anew. Her mother had waited for the right man. She had read in the newspapers at the library of a famous man named Philip Dwyer who was very selfish and vain. She wondered if this was the same man her father referred to in his letter.

She prayed a little prayer before she fell asleep that she'd meet someone as wonderful and loving as her father. Her mind immediately went to her friend, Edward. He was such a nice man, coming to the library frequently. He seemed to care for her, but she wasn't certain. It wasn't proper for a lady to ask a man's intentions. Edward's face showed up frequently in her dreams.

The next day, Bella was treating herself to lunch at a restaurant in town. Edward happened to be walking by and saw her inside. Since they were within the watchful eyes of other patrons, they were able to eat a meal together.

Bella shared the letter from her father with Edward. "Since you brought it to me, it's only fair I share it with you," she said.

Once he finished reading it, Edward said, "Well, your father was certainly a romantic."

"He was," Bella agreed. "I rarely recall them disagreeing. When they did, they were able to solve the issue very quickly. They loved each other very much." A wistful look stole over her face, but was replaced quickly by a smile.

"Which reminds me," Edward said after wiping his mouth with his napkin, "I don't like the idea of you living at the boarding house."

Bella asked, "Where else would I live?"

"With me," Edward said confidently.

Her eyebrows almost shot up into her hairline with shock. _Way to stick your foot in your mouth, Cullen. Time to explain yourself!_

"Not like that, Bella. I'm sorry I surprised you. I've…admired you for a very long time now. Why do you think I've checked out nearly every book in the library? It's so I get the opportunity to see you and talk to you. We'd make a good pair, I think. We're nearly at every same social event in town. You have a good heart. I can provide for you. I have a nice home where you can be happy and not have to work." He took her hand in his on the tabletop and continued, "Marry me, Bella."

She rose from the table, gathered her things, and stood. "I'll…think about it," she said shakily as she exited the restaurant.

Edward finished his lunch even though he didn't feel like eating and paid for both their meals and then returned to work.

Edward stayed away from Bella while she considered his offer. He paid an errand boy to return his book to the library. He didn't want her to think he was pressuring her. Then an idea came to him. If it worked for her father, perhaps it would work for him.

For two weeks, the calendar hurtled closer to Christmas. Bella didn't feel in the Christmas spirit at all this year. She sang the obligatory hymns and helped decorate the library and boarding house. In her spare time, she considered Edward's offer and moped. _Why didn't she just say "yes?" What was stopping her? _She liked Edward, she thought him handsome and kind. He seemed to be a suitable husband.

When she came home from the library one evening, Mrs. Cope said, "There's a letter for you, dearie. I've placed it on the sideboard until you're finished with dinner." _Who would be writing to her?_ Any distant relatives had stopped writing after her parents' untimely death. After dinner, she washed her dishes and then stepped to the sideboard. Her heart caught in her throat when she saw "Cullen" in the return address area of the envelope.

She bid Mrs. Cope a "good night" and she headed to her room – her sanctuary, her place away from the world – and quickly opened her letter.

_My dearest Bella,_

_Someone with a heart as pure as yours was no doubt surprised at my sudden offer of marriage. I've told you before I like happy endings. But I also like those to begin as soon as possible. I don't want to wait until later to begin a long and happy life with you. I want to start it now. I understand your hesitancy. I have longed to hold you in my arms and kiss away all your doubts and fears. I want a family with you so our legacy of love can live on. I love you, Bella, and will every moment of forever._

_Love always, Your Edward_

Bella glanced at her clock and then put on her coat, hat, scarf, and gloves. It was time to tell Edward "yes."

Mrs. Cope caught her at the door and said, "Where are you going, dearie?"

"I'll be back in a moment, Mrs. Cope. There's somewhere I need to go," Bella said as she headed out into the snowy night.

"Blast this dress and the snow," Bella said to herself as she finally reached Edward's house. It looked cheery as light poured out from the windows and smoke came from the chimney. If Edward would just allow her inside for a moment to warm her feet, she would tell him what she needed to say and then she would go right back to the boarding house.

Edward was surprised to hear a knock at the door on this snowy night. He went to answer it immediately.

"Bella!" he exclaimed with a smile. He was glad to see her at his door.

"I…I…" Bella's teeth chattered.

"Come in out of the cold, love," Edward said as he ushered her inside next to the fire.

After Edward covered her with a blanket and got her a cup of tea, she could finally speak normally. "Edward, I came to say I received your letter. I love you, too, and yes, a thousand times yes, I will marry you!"

He kissed her on the cheek and said, "Oh Bella, that's what I've been praying for, but it was up to you. Sometimes I just stick my foot in my mouth and don't say things correctly, especially around you."

"Now, we need to get you back home. Where are your snow boots?" Edward asked.

"I didn't have time to put them on. I rushed over," Bella said.

Edward gave her his best smile and said, "Well then, I will carry you. You cannot walk in those. I cannot have my bride catching her death."

When Mrs. Cope caught sight of Edward carrying Bella through her front door, she nearly swooned. She was thrilled to hear the couple was engaged.

Edward and Bella were married on Christmas Day after a special service at their church. Edward's family was able to come to Bethlehem for the ceremony and Christmas dinner at the couple's home. They took to Bella right away and found her to be a very suitable bride for their only son.

As much as Edward wanted to enjoy Bella's company beside him in front of the fire in the living room, he was much more anxious about getting started on their family. He found once they got over their initial worry and shyness, they fit together just like pieces of a puzzle.

As the couple joined hands under the bedcovers and looked out the window at the gently falling snow, Edward whispered in his bride's ear that he was going to enjoy his own happy ending best of all. Bella's other hand went behind Edward's neck and she pulled him to her lips. She couldn't wait to get started either.

_Epilogue_

Edward and Bella lived the rest of their lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Once Edward discovered Bella was pregnant with their first child, he insisted she stop working at the library. She worked on making their house into a home for all four of their children – two boys and two girls.

Even though things were close in their stone cottage, it was always a house of love. Sometimes those evening conversations in front of the fireplace happened long after the children were in bed, fast asleep. Edward didn't mind at all as he could look into the eyes of the prettiest bride in the world.

Edward finally did get to hear some of those stories from the children's section of the library as he and his wife read them to their children at bedtime. He got to experience them again when those same children brought precious grandchildren to the stone cottage.

Through it all, they kept the letters from Charlie Swan to Renee and from Edward to Bella in frames in the living room to let everyone who entered their home their love was postmarked with love.


	9. Dancing Away With My Heart

**I'm grateful to Stephenie Meyer for her dream/vision. Enjoy this last chapter of my one-shot series.**

EPOV

I exited the shower in my hotel room and took stock of my life. I'd graduated from high school with honors and left Seattle for Chicago to go to a well-known university for an architecture degree. I'd done well for myself, securing a position at a prestigious firm right out of college. They'd been impressed with my work and I'd been focused on my career ever since.

My boss suggested a transfer out West for me, saying I needed a change, to slow down and "enjoy the good life." My extended family was still located in Seattle, so I took the opportunity as it was presented. Now I was staying in a hotel until I bought a house and my belongings arrived from Chicago.

Crazier still, my one-year-younger brother, Emmett, almost demanded we attend a high school class reunion tonight. I'm not sure why I agreed to go. I could easily go out to a nice dinner with him and Rosalie, his wife. He'd married her right out of high school – the quarterback and the head cheerleader. They were the parents of two growing boys, living the life I imagined.

There was only one girl I'd ever thought about all this time – Bella Swan. I hadn't seen her in ages, but I wondered if she ever missed me and where she was located now. She probably married Mike Newton, who had always hung around her like a puppy.

My thoughts went back to our senior prom. I'd finally screwed up the courage and asked Bella to dance on the last slow song. She'd looked up from serving punch, so surprised. I'd dated other girls throughout high school, but no one seriously. If a man was looking for a lifetime partner, Bella would be my choice, every time.

I can still feel her head on my shoulder underneath the disco ball, hoping that song would never end. I remember brushing the curls back from her face so I could see her eyes. I also remember – very distinctly – leaning in to kiss her. She didn't recoil, horrified. She leaned in, enjoying our first kiss.

We spent a wonderful summer together after that. In the fall, she stayed in Seattle to go to a community college. I remember receiving some letters from her at college, but in my stubbornness, I laid them aside and didn't answer – too focused on my schoolwork and internship at the firm.

I mentally shook myself and continued dressing. I'd probably lost one of the best things in life due to stupidity and wanting to get ahead in life. The old saying was true – "The best things in life aren't things." I'd dated a bit in Illinois, but no one seriously.

Soon, Em and Rosalie were knocking on my door. It was great seeing them again after such a long time away.

As we situated ourselves in the car, Emmett asked, "So, bro, who are you most excited about seeing tonight?"

"Bella," her name slipped out of my mouth before I was barely aware of it.

Rosalie turned and arched an eyebrow at me. She said, "She was pretty hurt when you never responded to any of her letters. I don't know if she'll be here tonight."

"I know," I responded. "I messed up – big time. Have you seen her around?"

"I haven't," she replied. "But then again, the boys keep me pretty busy."

Before I could mire myself in more self-loathing, Emmett lightened the mood by talking about the Seahawks current record, new eateries in town, housing developments I should ask my realtor to inquire about, and if any of his football buddies had gained weight. Emmett was the jokester in our family. He balanced us out nicely, along with our younger sister, Alice.

The reunion committee had done the right thing and rented out a hotel ballroom instead of subjecting our high school gymnasium to the crepe-paper-streamer treatment. I was grateful for that.

I began to lose count of the number of former classmates who came up to me and said, "Long time, no see!" Rosalie thoughtfully brought me a drink as I explained yet again where I'd been since high school. I exchanged business cards with a few of the guys, promising we'd get together for a business lunch now that I was back in Seattle. I was glad I was mostly well-liked in high school.

Seeing who ended up marrying – that was a different story! People I never thought would be in the same room were there as husband and wife. Some of the girls who were former cheerleaders married guys who were nerds before – and they looked great together. A few girls who were average-looking before were stunning beauties now and had the men to show off.

I kept looking around for Mike to stroll up to me with Bella on his arm, showing off his prize. I knew it was going to hurt, way deep down in my chest, when he did and I was mentally preparing myself for it.

During dinner, a few of Emmett's football buddies and their wives joined us at our table. The conversation was loud and boisterous as you might expect, them reliving their glory days on the gridiron. I was glad when the music started and several of the couples got up to dance.

With the crowd thinning out around the tables as more people joined the dance floor, I could look around. Some faces were easily recognizable; with others, I knew I'd need an introduction. Then my eyes wandered to a table near the periphery of the room. There sat Bella, who had only grown more beautiful over the years, next to Angela Webber and Ben Cheney.

I got up and walked purposely in their direction. I didn't see Mike around. Would she even speak to me? Would she order me away? I wasn't sure what reaction I'd receive.

Ben saw me coming and greeted me, "Hey Edward, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing well," I replied, trying to catch Bella's eye. She was staring down at the table. I continued, "My company just transferred me back to Seattle, so I'm here for the duration."

"That's great news!" he said. Looking at Angela, he asked, "Do you want to dance, honey?" She smiled her assent and they both stood after Angela squeezed Bella's hand.

"It was good seeing you both," I said to their retreating backs. They seemed to leave in a hurry.

I looked at Bella again, still seated, and sat in the chair next to her.

I asked quietly, "How are you?" and attempted to take her hand.

She withdrew it immediately. She said in a small voice, "I'd just like to know why, Edward."

"You want to know why I didn't answer your letters?" Upon her nod with a sad look on her face, I continued, "Will you take a walk with me – just outside?"

She stood and wrapped her sweater around her shoulders. We were soon outside, walking through the extensive lit gardens of the hotel. We found a gazebo and made our way to it, discovering we could faintly hear the music from the reunion inside.

"Let me explain…" I started.

"I wish you would," Bella said, as tears began flowing from her brown eyes. "All these years, Edward! I thought we had something special the end of our senior year of high school and then that summer afterward. Apparently I was mistaken. I was holding on to false hope."

I was finally able to grasp her hands in mine. I looked into her eyes and said, "No, Bella. You weren't holding on to false hope. I received your letters and wanted nothing more to answer them. I was a jerk for not doing so. But, I knew as soon as I put one word to the page, I'd want to throw everything back in my suitcases and book the next flight back to Seattle. Forget my tuition, my career, everything!"

Bella looked at me doubtfully, trying to find any trace of insincerity and found none. I wiped her tears from her face. "To me, love, you are everything. Focusing on my career was the hardest thing I've ever done. I didn't want to be away from you at all. I want to marry you and spend the rest of my life with you."

"Well," she said, "there is a bit of a problem."

"What is it? We can solve it together," I enthused.

"My dad took the Chief of Police job in Forks. So we live there now. And I've been working as a cashier at the Newton's store in Forks," she continued.

I groaned, possibly audibly, "Ugh, don't tell me you're dating that creep, Mike."

A small smile played around the corners of Bella's lips as she replied, "Hmm, possibly."

"You wound me," I replied.

"I couldn't wait forever for you, not knowing if you cared about me or not. Besides, I'm sure you dated someone while you were away," she said.

I said, "It's true, I did. But they didn't capture my heart like you."

"Likewise," she responded.

With that, I lifted her from the gazebo bench and held her close to the strains of music we could hear. Although this time when I kissed her, I wasn't letting her go.

I whispered in her ear, "Will you, Bella? Will you marry me?"

She said with a smile, "Yes, Edward." We sealed the deal with another kiss.

We ended up back at my hotel room where I finally got the privilege to see all of Bella. As I made her body ready for me, I'd never seen anything more beautiful. When I was inside her, it was like coming home and I never wanted to leave.

_Epilogue_

That high school reunion was twenty years ago. Bella and I chose a house and got married shortly after. We were blessed with two great children – a girl and a boy – who have finally moved out and started lives of their own.

Every day I go in to the office instead of working from home, I make sure to leave her a love note somewhere in the house. I try to make it fun for her – sometimes it's on the kitchen counter, in the dishwasher, taped to the vacuum cleaner, inside the washing machine – somewhere she'll find it after I'm at work. I understand how important those love notes are to Bella.

In the evenings, even when the kids were growing up and they were totally grossed out by the display of affection by their parents, we slow danced together in the living room. A lot of times, those dances ended up in the bedroom later. But Bella knew she was always dancing away with my heart.

**Author's Note: As always, thank you for reading.**


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